LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivethird-declension two-termination adjective

bilinguis

bilinguis (neuter bilingue)
Classical[bɪˈlɪŋ.ɡʷɪs]Ecclesiastical[biˈliŋ.ɡʷis]

Meaning

  1. two terminationDouble-tongued, two-tongued; speaking two languages; having two tongues.
  2. two terminationHypocritical, deceitful, false, treacherous.
  3. two terminationHaving a double meaning; allegorical.

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativebilinguisbilinguisbilingue
genitivebilinguisbilinguisbilinguis
dativebilinguībilinguībilinguī
accusativebilinguembilinguembilingue
ablativebilinguībilinguībilinguī
vocativebilinguisbilinguisbilingue
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativebilinguēsbilinguēsbilinguia
genitivebilinguiumbilinguiumbilinguium
dativebilinguibusbilinguibusbilinguibus
accusativebilinguīs
bilinguēs		bilinguīs
bilinguēs		bilinguia
ablativebilinguibusbilinguibusbilinguibus
vocativebilinguēsbilinguēsbilinguia

bĭlinguis, e, adj. bis - lingua,
I. twotongued, double-tongued.
I. Lit., having two tongues; humorously, of voluptuous persons kissing, Plaut. Ps. 5, 1, 15; cf. id. Poen. 5, 4, 65.—
B. Transf.
1. Tibiae, with two keys, Varr. ap. Non. p. 229, 24.—
2. Speaking two languages: bilinguis δίγλωσσος, Gloss.: bilingues Bruttates Ennius dixit, quod Bruttii et Osce et Graece loqui soliti sint, Paul. ex Fest. p. 35 Müll.; cf. Commod. p. 350: corvinus, Canusini more bilinguis, Hor. S. 1, 10, 30: sed jam bilingues erant, paulatim a domestico externo sermone degeneres, Curt. 7, 5, 29.—
II. Trop.
A. Double-tongued, hypocritical, deceitful, false, treacherous: tamquam proserpens bestia, est bilinguis et scelestus, Plaut. Pers. 2, 4, 28: edico prius, Ne duplicis habeatis linguas, ne ego bilinguis vos necem, id. Truc. 4, 3, 7 (cf. id. Poen. 5, 2, 74: bisulcilingua quasi proserpens bestia): quippe domum timet ambiguam Tyriosque bilinguis, Verg. A. 1, 661: homo, Phaedr. 2, 4, 25; Sil. 2, 56: os, Vulg. Prov. 8, 13: socii, Sil. 16, 157: insidiae, Claud. B. Gild. 284.—
B. Fabulae, having a double meaning, allegorical, Arn. 5, p. 228.

Origins

From bi- (“two-”) + lingua (“tongue”) + -is.

Descendants
  • Catalanbilingüe
  • Englishbilinguis
  • Frenchbilingue
  • Romanianbilingvfrom French bilingue
  • Italianbilingue
  • Portuguesebilingue
  • Spanishbilingüe
  • Englishbilingual
  • Englishbi-lingual
  • Germanbilingual

In English words that came into English from bilinguis

  • bilingualbilinguis
  • bilinguisbilinguis

Quick answers

What does bilinguis mean in Latin?
bilinguis, a adjective, means “Double-tongued, two-tongued; speaking two languages; having two tongues.”.
How do you pronounce bilinguis?
In classical Latin, [bɪˈlɪŋ.ɡʷɪs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [biˈliŋ.ɡʷis].