nuntius

Nuntius is a Latin noun meaning messenger or message. In classical Latin, it referred to a person who delivers news, official dispatches, or reports, and by extension to the news itself. The term appears across literary, military, and diplomatic contexts and underpins various expressions relating to communication.

Etymology and form: Nuntius derives from the verb annuntiare, “to announce,” which itself is built from the same root associated with making news known. The noun is a standard masculine noun of the second declension in Latin. In usage, its forms can show ambiguity between singular genitive and plural nominative, but it is commonly translated as “messenger” in English.

Usage and derivatives: In Roman administration and diplomacy, a nuntius could be a courier, herald, or envoy carrying messages or reports. The word also lives on in later ecclesiastical and diplomatic vocabulary. In Catholic practice, the term nuncio (from the Italian form) designates a papal ambassador; this title traces to the same Latin root, though it has become a separate, specialized term. English derivatives linked to the same root include announce, annunciate, and pronunciation, all of which derive from related Latin verbs such as annuntiare and pronuntiare.

See also: annuntiare, pronuntiare, nuncio.