LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

arānea

arānea f (genitive arāneae)
Classical[aˈraː.ne.a]Ecclesiastical[aˈraː.ne.a]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. spider
  2. spider's web, cobweb
  3. figurativelythreads similar to spiders' webs

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

parvum animal quod rēte tenue facit, ut parva animālia capiat.
arānea -ae f — in Mille Verba, Animālia
animal parvum quod tēlās texit
arānea -ae (f) — in Metamorphoses I, ch. 12

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativearāneaarāneae
genitivearāneaearāneārum
dativearāneaearāneīs
accusativearāneamarāneās
ablativearāneāarāneīs
vocativearāneaarāneae

ărānĕa, ae, f. ἀράχνη.
I. A spider: aranearum perdere texturam, Plaut. Stich. 2, 2, 24: antiquas exercet aranea telas, Ov. M. 6, 145: tela aranearum, Vulg. Job, 8, 14; so ib. Isa. 59, 5; ib. Osee, 8, 6: araneae textura, Sen. Ep. 121: invisa Minervae aranea, Verg. G. 4, 247: anni nostri sicut aranea meditabuntur, Vulg. Psa. 89, 10.—
II. Meton.
A. A spider's web, cobweb: (aedes) oppletae araneis, Plaut. Aul. 1, 2, 6: ut aranea bratteaque auri, Lucr. 4, 727: arcula plena aranearum, Afran. ap. Fest. s. v. tanne, p. 154 Müll. (Com. Rel. p. 217 Rib.): Catulli Plenus sacculus est aranearum, Cat. 13, 8: summo quae pendet aranea tigno, Ov. M. 4, 179; Claud. Rapt. Pros. 3, 158.—
B. Also, for threads similar to spiders' webs: salicis fructus ante maturitatem in araneam abit, Plin. 24, 9, 37, § 56.

Origins

Either from Ancient Greek ἀράχνη (arákhnē) (or a byform *ἀράχνεα (*arákhnea)), through an early intermediate like *aragnea, or from the same unknown source. Due to phonetic difficulties, the latter scenario may be more likely.

Gallo-Romance
  • Catalanaranyafrom Old Catalan aranya
  • Catalanronyafrom Old Catalan aranya
  • Occitanaranhafrom Old Occitan aranha
  • Frencharagnefrom Old French araigne
  • Frencharaignefrom Old French araigne
  • Frenchrognefrom Old French araigne
  • Englisharranfrom Old French araigne
  • Englisharrandfrom Old French araigne
  • Frencharaignéefrom Old French areignee
  • Franco-Provençalaragne
Italo-Romance
  • Italianaragna
  • Italianragna
  • Corsicanaragna
  • Apulianaragna
  • Apulianregna
  • Calabrianragnafrom Sicilian rugna
Ibero-Romance
  • Portuguesearanhafrom Old Galician-Portuguese aranna
  • Spanisharañafrom Old Spanish aranna
  • Aragonesearaina
  • Asturianaraña
  • Falaarañafrom Old Galician-Portuguese aranna
  • Galicianarañafrom Old Galician-Portuguese aranna
  • Kabuverdianuaranhafrom Old Galician-Portuguese aranna
  • Papiamentuarañafrom Old Galician-Portuguese aranna
  • Ladinoaranyafrom Old Spanish aranna
Balkan Romance
  • Romanianrâie
  • Aromanianarãnji
  • Aromanianrãnji
  • Megleno-Romanianrănă
Insular Romance
  • Campidanesearangia
  • Campidanesearrungia
  • Campidaneserungia
  • Campidaneseorrungia
  • Logudoreseranza
  • Logudoreserunza
North Italian
  • Emilianrâgna
  • Friulianrogne
  • Gallo-Italic of Sicilyraja
  • Monegasquearagnafrom Ligurian ägna
  • Westernragnafrom Ligurian ägna
  • Romagnolrâgna
  • Venetanrogna
Borrowings
  • Old Englishrēnġe
  • Esperantoaraneo
  • Interlinguaaranea
  • TranslingualDubiaranea

Quick answers

What does arānea mean in Latin?
arānea, a noun, means “spider; spider's web, cobweb; threads similar to spiders' webs”.
What is the genitive of arānea?
The genitive singular is arāneae. arānea is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce arānea?
In classical Latin, [aˈraː.ne.a]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [aˈraː.ne.a].