Ansis

From the plural of Gothic *𐌰𐌽𐍃𐌿𐍃 (*ansus). Cognate with Old Norse æsir, Old English ēse.

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈan.sis/, [ˈä̃ːs̠ɪs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈan.sis/, [ˈänsis]

Ansis m

1. (Germanic paganism) a tribe of demigods among the Goths
   • 551 CE, Jordanes, De origine actibusque Getarum 13.76:

     magnaque potiti per loca victoria iam proceres suos, quorum quasi fortuna vincebant, non puros homines, sed semideos id est Ansis vocaverunt.

     And as they had won great victory in this region, they called their leaders, by whose fortunes they seemed to have conquered, not mere men, but demigods, that is Ansis.

• From the cognates in other Germanic branches it is clear that the Ansis were originally the pagan gods of the Goths. By calling them demigods and originally great men, Jordanes was engaging in a common form of medieval euhemerism.

This entry needs an inflection-table template.

First recorded in 1553. From German Hans, from Johannes (“John”).

Ansis m

1. a male given name

• Hanss
• Jānis

• Klāvs Siliņš: Latviesu personvārdu vārdnīca. Riga "Zinātne" 1990, →ISBN
• Population Register of Latvia: Ansis was the only given name of 898 persons in Latvia on May 21st 2010.