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LATIN · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

fax.

torch, firebrand, fire; flame of love; torment;

3 characters1 syllables approx.Latina language

Meaning & usage

noun[ˈfaks]Classical-Latin[ˈfaks]

  1. torch, firebrand

    declension-3 · feminine

  2. fireball, comet

    declension-3 · feminine

  3. cause of ruin, incitement

    declension-3 · feminine
Where this word comes from

Uncertain. Possibly from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰwok(ʷ)- > Proto-Italic *fwak(ʷ)-. Potential cognates include facētus and Lithuanian žvakė (“candle”). Compare also Etruscan 𐌚𐌀𐌂𐌄 (face, “torch (?)”). Schrijver argues the -a- can be explained as going back to Proto-Indo-European *o, with unrounding after *w in an originally open syllable (as in the oblique case-forms). According to De Vaan, even if the Latin and Lithuanian words are cognate, the root structure is more consistent with a later loanword rather than a Proto-Indo-European formation.

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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.