noun · femininefirst declension
aquila1
aquila f (genitive aquilae)
Classical[ˈa.kʷɪ.ɫa]Ecclesiastical[ˈaː.kʷi.la]
Mille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- feminineeagle
- femininethe standard (of an eagle) carried by a Roman legion
Hoc cum vōce māgnā dīxisset, sē ex nāvī prōiēcit atque in hostēs aquilam ferre coepit.
When [the standard-bearer of the Tenth Legion] had cried out [these words] in a very loud voice, he threw himself from the ship and began to carry the eagle toward the enemy. (See: aquilifer.)c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de bello Gallico 4.25 - femininethe astronomical constellation Aquila
- femininekite
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
maxima avis, rēgīna avium; Rōmānīs signum legiōnis erat.aquila -ae f — in Mille Verba, Animālia
signum legiōnis aureumaquila -ae (f) — in IVLIANVS I: Gallia, ch. 12
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | aquila | aquilae |
| genitive | aquilae | aquilārum |
| dative | aquilae | aquilīs |
| accusative | aquilam | aquilās |
| ablative | aquilā | aquilīs |
| vocative | aquila | aquilae |
ăquĭla, ae, f. gen. aquilāï, Cic. Arat 372) [perh. from aquilus, from its common color, Gr μελανάετος; cf. Engl. eagle; Fr. aigle; Germ. Adler,
I. an eagle.
I. Lit.: Falco melanaëtus, Linn.; Plin. 10, 3, 3, § 6 sqq.; Cic. Div 1, 15, 26; 2, 70, 144; Varr. R. R. 3, 16, 4, Liv 1, 34, 8; Verg. A. 11, 751; Ov. M. 1, 506; Hor. C. 4, 4, 32:
aquilis velociores, Vulg. 2 Reg. 1, 23 si exaltatus fueris ut aquila, ib. Abd. 4: dilata calvitium tuum ut aquila, ib. Mich. 1, 16.—Poet., the lightningbearer of Jupiter. Jovis satelles, Cic. Tusc. 2, 10, 24: armigera Jovis, Plin. l. l.; cf. Serv ad Verg. A. 1, 398.—II. Transf.
A. The eagle, as the principal standard of a Roman legion (while signa are the standards of the single cohorts; cf. Schwarz ad Plin. Pan. 82; Web. ad Luc. 7, 164;
Smith, Dict. Antiq.): aquila argentea, Cic. Cat. 1, 9, 24; aquilae duae, signa sexaginta sunt relata Antonii, Galba ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 30; Plin. 13, 3, 4, § 23 et saep.—Poet.: ut locupletem aquilam tibi sexagesimus annus Adferat, the office of a standard-bearer, Juv. 14, 197.—Hence, meton., a legion: erat acies tredecim aquilis constituta, Auct. B. Hisp. 30; Luc. 5, 238.—* B. In arch.: aquilae, as in Gr. ἀετοί and ἀετώματα, the highest parts of a building, which supported the front of a gable. sustinentes fastigium aquilae, Tac. H. 3, 71.—*
C. The Eagle, a constellation, Cic. Arat. 372.—
D. A species of fish of the ray genus, the sea-eagle: Raja aquila, Linn.; Plin. 9, 24, 40, § 78.—
E. Aquilae senectus, prov., acc. to Donatus, of an old man fond of drinking (since it was believed that the eagle, in old age, drank more than it ate; but more prob., a vigorous old age), Ter. Heaut. 3, 2, 10, ubi v. Don.
Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
aquila ae, f
an eagle: suspensis demissa alis, L.: fulva, V.: feroces, H.: ales Iovis, V.—Prov.: aquilae senectus (because it was fabled to renew its youth), T. — In war, an eagle, standard of a legion (carried by the senior centurion of the first cohort): decimae legionis, Cs.: argentea.—Poet.: locupletem aquilam tibi adferre, i. e. the office of first centurion. Iu. — In architecture, an ornament of the pediment, Ta.
Origins
Of unknown origin, but probably related to aquilus (“blackish, the color of darkness”), thus a "dark bird". An alternative theory derives the word from a supposed Proto-Italic *aku-(a)wi-lā-s (“swift little bird”), the first two components related to acus (“needle”) and avis (“bird”), the third a diminutive suffix *lā-, with similar formation to accipiter (“hawk”); this is morphologically unlikely. Replaces Proto-Indo-European *h₃érō (“eagle”) due to taboo avoidance.
Southern Gallo-Romance
- Catalanàguila
- Catalanàliga
- Occitanaglafrom Old Occitan aigla
- Occitanaiglafrom Old Occitan aigla
- Aragonesealica
- Aragonesealiga
- Gasconaguillafrom Old Occitan aigla
- Vivaro-Alpineeiglafrom Old Occitan aigla
Northern Gallo-Romance
- Englisheaglefrom Old French aigle
- Frencheaglefrom Old French aigle
- Frenchaiglefrom Old French aigle
- Franco-Provençalaglle
- Franco-Provençalagllo
- Franco-Provençalélye
- Franco-Provençalélyo
- Esperantoaglofrom Old French aigle
- Normanaigllefrom Old French aigle
- Normanaigl'yefrom Old French aigle
Insular Romance
- Sardinianàbbila
- Sardinianàchili
- Sardinianachiliera
Ibero-Romance
- Portugueseáguia
- Spanisháguila
- Asturianaigla
- Asturianáguila
- Asturianáiguila
- Asturianaila
- Asturianeila
- Asturianáliga
- Asturianéliga
- Asturianéguila
Balkan Romance
- Romanianaceră
- Aromanianatsirã
Italo-Romance
- Italianaquila
- Corsicanacula
- Friulianacuilefrom Italian aquila
- Piedmonteseàquilafrom Italian aquila
- Venetanàquiłafrom Italian aquila
- Malteseajklafrom Sicilian àcula
Borrowings
- Romanianacvilă
- Ancient Greekἀκυλεής
- Ancient Greekἀκύλας
- Ancient Greekἀκυλάς
- LithuanianAkvilė
- LithuanianAkvilius
- Serbo-Croatianȃkvila
- Serbo-Croatianа̑квила
- TranslingualAquila
Padanian
- Emilianâcuila
- Ligurianàgogia
- Lombardàgola
- Lombardàigula
- Lombardaguila
- Lombardògola
- Piedmonteseàghia
- Piedmonteseéula
- Piedmonteseòja
- Romagnolêquila
In English words that came into English from aquila
- eagleaquila
- aquilineaquilīnus