Vergil

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The greatest poet of ancient Rome, author of the Aeneid and known for works that shaped Western literature
2. A celebrated Latin writer from the time of Emperor Augustus, famous for his epic poem about Aeneas and the founding of Rome
3. The preeminent Roman poet whose writings, particularly the Aeneid, profoundly influenced European literary tradition

Etymology: The most surprising thing about this name is that its famous bearer, the Roman poet Publius Vergilius Maro (70–19 BCE), has a surname that was originally just a family label. "Vergilius" was the name of a Roman clan, and the poet was born into it, so his name tells you about his family rather than about any personal quality. The clan name itself is of unknown meaning and is generally thought to have come from the Etruscans, the people who lived in Italy before the Romans rose to power. The name came into English through Middle English "Vyrgyle", which was a direct adaptation of the Latin form "Virgilius". Over the centuries the spelling settled into "Virgil", and "vergil" survives as an alternative spelling. The poet's fame was so great that his name was used throughout medieval Europe as a symbol of learning, and the Latin poet's name became a standard English name for a learned guide.