LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
proper noun · masculinefirst declension

Belgae

Belgae m pl (genitive Belgārum)
Classical[ˈbɛɫ.ɡae̯]Ecclesiastical[ˈbɛl̠ʲ.d͡ʒe]

Meaning

  1. masculinepluralBelgae; a group of tribes of northern Gaul
    Gallia est omnis dīvīsa in partēs trēs, quārum ūnam incolunt Belgae, aliam Aquītānī, tertiam quī ipsōrum linguā Celtae, nostrā Gallī appellantur.Gaul, taken as a whole, is divided into three parts, one of which the Belgae inhabit, the Aquitani another, those who in their own language are called Celts, in our language the Gauls, the third.c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de bello Gallico 1.1

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeBelgaBelgae
genitiveBelgaeBelgārum
dativeBelgaeBelgīs
accusativeBelgamBelgās
ablativeBelgāBelgīs
vocativeBelgaBelgae

Belgae, ārum, m., = Βέλγαι [Balge, in Lower Germany, a low, swampy region],
I. the Belgians, a warlike people, of German and Celtic origin, in the north of Gaul, Caes. B. G. 1, 1; 2, 4; Mel. 3, 2, 4; Tac. A. 1, 43; 3, 40; id. H. 4, 17; 4, 76 al.—In sing.: Bel-ga, ae, m., a Belgian, Luc. 1, 426; Claud. Laud. Stil. 1, 226.—
II. Deriv.: Belgĭ-cus, a, um, adj., Belgic: esseda, Verg. G. 3, 204: color, Prop. 2 (3), 18, 26. calami, Plin. 16, 36, 65, § 161: canis, Sil. 10, 80.—Hence, Gallia Belgica, or absol. Belgica, the northern part of Gaul, between the Rhine, Seine, Marne, and the North Sea, inhabited by the Belgians, Plin. 4, 17, 31, § 105; 7, 16, 17, § 76. —Absol., Plin. 15, 25, 30, § 103; Tac. H. 1, 12; 1, 58 al.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰelǵʰ-?
  2. LatinBelgae

Proto-Celtic *belgosbor. Latin Belgae From Proto-Celtic *belgos (“swollen (with anger)”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰelǵʰ- (“to bulge, swell”), thus meaning "People who swell (with fury/anger)." Also see Old English belgan and Dutch gebelgd.

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

GeographyBelgaeBelgae Caesar (Caes. Gal. 1.1) makes the Belgae, by which he means the country of the Belgae, one of the great divisions of Gallia. The Belgae were se…GeographyBelgaeBelgae, A British population, is first mentioned under the name of Belgae by Ptolemy (2.3.28). Caesar's notice extends only to the fact of the interio…

Quick answers

What does Belgae mean in Latin?
Belgae, a proper noun, means “Belgae; a group of tribes of northern Gaul”.
What is the genitive of Belgae?
The genitive singular is Belgārum. Belgae is masculine, first declension.
How do you pronounce Belgae?
In classical Latin, [ˈbɛɫ.ɡae̯]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈbɛl̠ʲ.d͡ʒe].
Where does Belgae come from?
Proto-Indo-European *bʰelǵʰ-? → Latin Belgae.