LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

anguīlla

anguīlla f (genitive anguīllae)
Classical[aŋˈɡʷiːl.la]Ecclesiastical[aŋˈɡʷil.la]

Meaning

  1. eel
  2. small snake

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeanguīllaanguīllae
genitiveanguīllaeanguīllārum
dativeanguīllaeanguīllīs
accusativeanguīllamanguīllās
ablativeanguīllāanguīllīs
vocativeanguīllaanguīllae

anguilla, ae, f. dim. anguis, Varr. L. L. 5, § 77 Müll.; but it may be directly con. with Gr. ἔγχελυς; v. anguis,
I. an eel.
I. Lit.: Muraena anguilla, Linn.; Plin. 9, 21, 38, § 74 al.; Juv. 5, 103.—
II. Trop.: anguilla est, elabitur, he is an eel; he slips away, is a slippery fellow, prov. of a sly man, Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 56.—
III. The hard skin of an eel, used as a whip in schools, Verr. ap. Plin. 9, 23, 39; Isid. Orig. 5, 27.

Origins

From Proto-Indo-European *h₂engʷʰ- (“water-worm, eel”). Cognate with Old Prussian angurgis, Albanian ngjalë, Ancient Greek ἔγχελυς (énkhelus, “eel”), Old High German angar (“mealworm, larva, grub”) (Modern German Engerling), Proto-Slavic *ǫgořь, Lithuanian ungurỹs. Influenced by anguis (“snake”), in the same way Ancient Greek ἔγχελῠς (énkhelŭs, “eel”) was influenced by ἔχις (ékhis, “snake”), but unfortunately no Proto-Indo-European form can be reconstructed due to similar changes in other daughter languages, commonly attributed to a taboo. Compare Finnish borrowing ankerias.

Insular Romance
  • Sardinianambidha
  • Sardinianammidha
  • Sardiniananghidha
  • Sardiniananguidha
Gallo-Romance
  • Frenchanguillefrom Old French anguille
  • Catalananguila
  • Occitananguila
  • Esperantoangilofrom Old French anguille
  • Mauritian Creoleangifrom Old French anguille
  • Walloonanweyefrom Old French anguille
Ibero-Romance
  • Portugueseenguiafrom Old Galician-Portuguese anguia
  • Portugueseenguilafrom Old Galician-Portuguese anguia
  • Spanishanguilafrom Old Spanish anguila
  • Aragoneseenguila
  • Asturiananguila
  • Leoneseenguila
  • Falaanguiafrom Old Galician-Portuguese anguia
  • Galiciananguíafrom Old Galician-Portuguese anguia
  • Ladinoanguilafrom Old Spanish anguila
  • Esperantoangilofrom Old Spanish anguila
Borrowings
  • Catalanangulafrom Basque angula
  • Spanishangulafrom Basque angula
  • TranslingualAnguilla
  • Basqueaingira
  • Hungarianangolna
  • Idoanguilo
  • Macedonianјагула
  • Serbo-Croatianjègulja
  • Serbo-Croatianјѐгуља
  • Aragoneseangulafrom Basque angula
Balkano-Romance
  • Romaniananghilă
Italo-Dalmatian
  • Italiananguilla
  • Corsicananguilla
  • Dalmatiananǧola
  • Siciliananciḍḍa
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Friuliananzile
  • Romanshanguilla
Gallo-Italic
  • Emiliananguélla
  • Piedmonteseanguila

Quick answers

What does anguīlla mean in Latin?
anguīlla, a noun, means “eel; small snake”.
What is the genitive of anguīlla?
The genitive singular is anguīllae. anguīlla is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce anguīlla?
In classical Latin, [aŋˈɡʷiːl.la]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [aŋˈɡʷil.la].