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The first declension, with the -a ending, is usually feminine.

Why are so many men's names (cognomina), however, in the first declension -- Seneca, Cinna, Aggrippa, Sulla, and more? This is far out of proportion to the handful of masculine improper nouns in the first declension, like agricola, poeta, scriba, and and nauta.

Is there some historical reason?

Joshua Fox
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    Gens names are first/second declension adjectives. You are seeing the first-declension form because gens is feminine. For example, men of the gens Julia are called Julius, women Julia. Also, all the names you refer to are cognomina, and in that case one has to keep in mind that the Romans did not generally give cognomina to women (I think). – Sebastian Koppehel Aug 30 '20 at 10:57
  • Thank you. I have edited the question to mention that these are cognomina. But I guess that that leaves the question open, right? – Joshua Fox Aug 30 '20 at 12:04
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    You may find this useful https://latin.stackexchange.com/a/5908/39 – Alex B. Aug 30 '20 at 12:37
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    Thank you. There it says that 1st decl. masc. nouns may come from fem. abstract nouns, from Greek influence or loanwords. For proper nouns, however, Etruscan loanwords seem like the most relevant of the explanations mentioned there. Are these many 1st decl. cognomina derived from Etruscan? – Joshua Fox Aug 30 '20 at 13:19
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    @JoshuaFox re: Sulla, Leumann says the following, citing Schwyzer: Sulla from Surula, from Σύροσ (p. 52, in Lit.) and then adds "die Verknüpfung mit Σύροσ ist unglaubhaft " [i.e. implausible] – Alex B. Aug 30 '20 at 15:25
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    So, I don't know yet - I'll have to do more research/think about this. But my guess is that one of the factors I mentioned in the linked post would apply. – Alex B. Aug 30 '20 at 15:38
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    Re: Agrippa: we have Gellius (XVI: 1-2), who says "Quorum in nascendo non caput, sed pedes primi extiterant, qui partus difficillimus aegerrimusque habetur, “Agrippae” appellati, vocabulo ab aegritudine et pedibus conficto." - and Leumann also mentions it (p. 398) – Alex B. Aug 30 '20 at 15:48
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    Right, my comment was not intended to suggest the question isn't valid. It's a good question and I have upvoted. – Sebastian Koppehel Aug 30 '20 at 21:50

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This is what Weiss 2020 writes on cognomina in -a (in III. *eh2-stem suffixes):

Aemilius Alba, from albus 'white'

Calua, from caluus 'bald'

C. Mucius Scaeuola, from scaeua 'left-handed person'

Weiss also mentions Klingenschmitt 1992 - I'm going to re-read this and add more later - who explains these cognomina as collectives with the meaning 'family of X' that came to be applied to individuals. Weiss adds though that some of these cognomina are partly of Etruscan origin, Cotta, Thalna, Tucca (p. 321)

Alex B.
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