LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

avēna

avēna f (genitive avēnae)
Classical[aˈweː.na]Ecclesiastical[aˈvɛː.na]

Meaning

  1. oats
  2. wild oats
  3. straw
  4. A shepherd's pipe

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

calamus quō pāstōrēs canunt
avēna -ae (f) — in Metamorphoses I, ch. 4, 15

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeavēnaavēnae
genitiveavēnaeavēnārum
dativeavēnaeavēnīs
accusativeavēnamavēnās
ablativeavēnāavēnīs
vocativeavēnaavēnae

ăvēna, ae, f. v. 1. aveo init.; orig. nourishment.
I.A.. Oats; and specif., common oats, Gr. βρόμος: Avena sativa, Linn.; Verg. G. 1, 77; Col. 2, 10, 32; Hor. S. 2, 6, 84.—
B. Wild or barren oats, a weed, Gr. αἰγίλωψ: Avena fatua, Linn.; Cato, R. R. 37, 4; Cic. Fin. 5, 30, 91; Serv. ad Verg. G. 1, 154; Plin. 18, 17, 44, § 149.—
II. In gen.
A. Any stem or stalk of grass or grain, a straw, etc.: (linum) tam gracili avenā. Plin. 19, 1, 1, § 5; 24, 18, 103, § 168.—Used for a shepherd's pipe, Ov. M. 8, 192.—
B. Poet., a shepherd's pipe, reed-pipe: Silvestrem tenui Musam meditaris avenā, Verg. E. 1, 2: perlucenti cantus meditabar avenā, Tib. 3, 4, 71: est modulatus avenā Carmen, id. 2, 1, 53: pastor junctis pice cantat avenis, Ov. Tr. 5, 10, 25: et structis cantat avenis, id. M. 1, 677: Angustā cantare licet videaris avenā, Dum tua multorum vincat avena tubas, Mart. 8, 3 fin.

Origins

Probably a non-Indo-European substrate word. Cognate with Lithuanian aviža, Latvian auzas, and Proto-Slavic *ovьsъ.

Descendants
  • Frenchavoinefrom Old French aveine
  • Italianavena
  • Portugueseaveiafrom Old Galician-Portuguese avẽa
  • Sardinianaena
  • Sardinianavena
  • Sardinianauena
  • Sardinianena
  • Spanishavena
  • Bourguignonaivoignefrom Old French aveine
  • Champenoisaoinnefrom Old French aveine

In English words that came into English from avēna

  • avenaceousavēna
  • aveniformavēna
  • avenalinavēna
  • avenacinavēna
  • avenageavēna

Quick answers

What does avēna mean in Latin?
avēna, a noun, means “oats; wild oats; straw”.
What is the genitive of avēna?
The genitive singular is avēnae. avēna is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce avēna?
In classical Latin, [aˈweː.na]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [aˈvɛː.na].
Which English words come from avēna?
English words that go back to Latin avēna include avenaceous, aveniform, avenalin, avenacin and avenage.