View Message

This is a reply within a larger thread: view the whole thread

[Facts] Wild-wild West
Vespasian is related to the Latin "vespera" meaning evening and "west" (from the association to the sunset). Vesper itself is a Latin form of the Greek "hespera" meaning the same.
vote up1vote down

Replies

The latest buzz...Yes, I thought of associating Vespasian with the word vesper, too, but it could also be derived from the Latin word "vespa", meaning "wasp". Considering how a lot of Roman names often had uncomplimentary or even comical meanings, it could be that an early ancestor of Vespasian's was waspish.-- Nanaea
vote up1vote down