păternus, a, um, adj. [pater], of or belonging to a father, fatherly, paternal (said of the property, possessions, external relations, etc., of a father; while patrius is used of that which belongs essentially to his nature, dignity, or duty; hence, in good prose: patrius amor, animus, patria potestas, patrium jus; but paterni agri, liberi, servi, liberti, etc.).
I Lit.: injuria, against the father , Ter. Heaut. 992: haud paternum istuc dedisti, id. Ad. 450: horti, Cic. Phil. 13, 17, 34: libertus, id. Fl. 36, 89: bona paterna et avita, id. Cael. 14, 34: hospitium, Caes. B. C. 2, 25: regna, Verg. A. 3, 121: res, Hor. Ep. 1, 15, 26: animus, id. C. 2, 2, 6: paterni animi indoles (a weaker expression than patrii, v. Weissenb. ad loc., and cf. Krebs, Antibarb. p. 833), Liv. 9, 4, 9: irae, id. 2, 61: vel paternam vel avitam gloriam consequi, Cic. Brut. 33, 126: civitatem paterno consilio florentissimam accipere, id. de Or. 1, 9, 38: paternum maternumque genus et nomen, id. Phil. 10, 6, 14. —
B Also (acc. to pater, II. B.), ancestral , of or belonging to forefathers (late Lat.): sepulchra paterna, Vulg. 2 Macc. 12, 39: mos, id. Act. 28, 17: traditio, id. 1 Pet. 1, 18.—
II Transf.
A Of one's native country : paterni Fluminis ripae, Hor. C. 1, 20, 5: terra, Ov. H. 13, 100.—
B Of animals, Col. 6, 37, 2: color, id. 7, 2, 5.—
C In gram.: casus paternus, the genitive case , Prisc. p. 670 P.