LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininethird declension

bīlis

bīlis f (genitive bīlis)
Classical[ˈbiː.lɪs]Ecclesiastical[ˈbiː.lis]

Meaning

  1. bile
  2. figurativelyanger, gall

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Fel · Bilis

Fel (from φλέγω, φλέγμα) is the gall of animals, and, figuratively, the symbol of bitterness to the taste; whereas bilis is the gall of human beings, and, figuratively, the symbol of exasperation of mind. (v. 120.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativebīlisbīlēs
genitivebīlisbīlium
dativebīlībīlibus
accusativebīlembīlēs
bīlīs
ablativebīlī
bīle		bīlibus
vocativebīlisbīlēs

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

iram, bilem evomere in aliquem
to vent one's anger, spite on some one.
stomachum, bilem alicui movere
to excite a person's wrath.

bīlis, is (abl. bili, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 95; Lucr. 4, 664; Cic. Tusc. 3, 5, 11;
I. bile, Hor. C. 1, 13, 4; Petr. 124, 2; Plin. 22, 20, 23, § 49; Suet. Tib. 59; Pers. 2, 14; Juv. 13, 143; Inscr. Grut. 1040, 3), f. kindr. with galbus, gilbus; Germ. gelb.
I. Lit., bile (the bilious fluid secreted by the liver, jecur, while fel is the vessel in which the fluid is contained): rufa, viridis, nigra, Ceis. 7, 18; Lucr. 4, 664; Cato, R. R. 156, 4; Cic. N. D. 2, 55, 137; id. Tusc. 4, 10, 23: bilem pellere, Plin. 23, 8, 74, § 142: trahere, id. 27, 4, 10, § 27: detrahere, id. 27, 12, 93, § 119.— In plur. biles, the yellow and black bile, Plin. 20, 9, 34, § 84: purgare, Scrib. Comp. 136 (cf. poet.: purgor bilem, Hor. A. P. 302). —
B. Esp.: bilis suffusa, the overflowing of bile, i.e. the jaundice, Plin. 22, 21, 26, § 54 (in Sen. Ep. 95, 16, called subfusio luridae bilis).—And so, bile suffusus, having the jaundice, jaundiced, Plin. 22, 20, 23, § 49.—
II. Trop.
A. Anger, wrath, choler, ire, displeasure, indignation (v. jecur): non placet mihi cena, quae bilem movet, Plaut. Bacch. 3, 6, 8; so Hor. Ep. 1, 19, 20: bilem alicui commovere, to stir up, excite, Cic. Att. 2, 7, 2: bile tumet jecur, Hor. C. 1, 13, 4: meum jecur urere bilis, id. S. 1, 9, 66: bilis inaestuat praecordiis, id. Epod. 11, 16: jussit quod splendida bilis, id. S. 2, 3, 141: expulit bilem meraco, id. Ep. 2, 2, 137: bilem effundere, to vent, Juv. 5, 159: turgescit vitrea bilis, Pers. 3, 8: cui sententiae tantum bilis, tantum amaritudinis inest, ut, etc., Plin. Ep. 4, 11, 2: videte metuendam inimici et hostis bilem et licentiam, Cic. Fragm. Clod. et Cur. 4, 4 B. and K.—
B. Atra (or nigra) bilis, black bile, for melancholy, sadness, dejection, μελαγχολία, Cic. Tusc. 3, 5, 11: bilem atram generantes, quos μελαγχολικοὺς vocant, Scrib. Comp. 104.—Also as in Gr., = furor, rage, fury, madness: Am. Delirat uxor. So. Atra bili percita est, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 95; id. Capt. 3, 4, 64: bilis nigra curanda est, et ipsa furoris causa removenda, Sen. Ep. 94, 17.

Origins

De Vaan reconstructs Proto-Italic *bistli- based on comparison to Brythonic (e.g. Welsh bustl). No further cognates are known, and Latin initial b- and Brythonic *b- do not regularly correspond in inherited vocabulary, so the term is likely borrowed, either from Celtic into Italic, or from a non-Indo-European substrate into both. If native to Celtic, De Vaan suggests it could descend from a Celtic preform *bid-tli-, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- (“to split off, bite”), referring to the substance's bitterness. In the latter case, compare also Proto-Germanic *bitraz (“bitter”).

Descendants
  • Catalanbilis
  • Englishbile
  • Englishbili-
  • Frenchbile
  • Romanianbilăfrom French bile
  • Italianbile
  • Portuguesebílis
  • Portuguesebile
  • Spanishbilis
  • Galicianbile

Quick answers

What does bīlis mean in Latin?
bīlis, a noun, means “bile; anger, gall”.
What is the genitive of bīlis?
The genitive singular is bīlis. bīlis is feminine, third declension.
How do you pronounce bīlis?
In classical Latin, [ˈbiː.lɪs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈbiː.lis].