LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

brūma

brūma f (genitive brūmae)
Classical[ˈbruː.ma]Ecclesiastical[ˈbruː.ma]

Meaning

  1. the winter solstice
    Brūma novī prīma est veterisque novissima sōlis.The winter solstice is the first day of the new sun, and the last of the old8 CE, Ovidius, Fasti 1.163
  2. broadlywinter, winter cold

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativebrūmabrūmae
genitivebrūmaebrūmārum
dativebrūmaebrūmīs
accusativebrūmambrūmās
ablativebrūmābrūmīs
vocativebrūmabrūmae

brūma, ae, f. for brevima, breuma = brevissima: dicta bruma quod brevissimus tunc dies est, Varr. L. L. 6, § 8 Müll.: bruma a brevitate dierum dicta, Paul. ex Fest. p. 31 Müll.; cf. Isid. Orig. 5, 35, 6; Gesn. Claud. Rapt. Pros. 2, 106; Ruhnk. ad Ter. Phorm. 4, 4, 28.
I. Lit., the shortest day in the year, the winter solstice, * Lucr. 5, 746; Varr. L. L. l. l.; Ter. Phorm. 4, 4, 28: circa brumam serendum non esse, Plin. 18, 24, 56, § 204 al.—Plur.: solis accessus discessusque solstitiis brumisque cognosci, Cic. N. D. 2, 7, 19; 2, 19, 50; Ov. F. 1, 163.—
II. Transf.
A. In gen., the winter time, winter (mostly poet.): musculorum jecuscula brumā dicuntur augeri, Cic. Div. 2, 14, 33: novissimus dies brumae, Plin. 16, 39, 74, § 191: ver proterit aestas, Interitura, simul Pomifer auctumnus fruges effuderit, et mox Bruma recurrit iners, Hor. C. 4, 7, 12; Phaedr. 4, 23, 19: serite hordea campis Usque sub extremum brumae intractabilis imbrem, even to the last rain of rough winter, Verg. G. 1, 211; 3, 321.—So, horrida cano gelu, Verg. G. 3, 443: frigida, id. A. 2, 472: hiberna, Tib. 1, 4, 5; Ov. Ib. 37; Prop. 1, 8, 9: tepidae, Hor. C. 2, 6, 18: nives illinet agris, id. Ep. 1, 7, 10: per brumam, id. ib. 1, 11, 19: brumae tempore, Juv. 3, 102; Val. Fl. 5, 602; Stat. S. 1, 3, 89 al.—
B. In the most gen. sense (pars pro toto), poet., a year; plur., Manil. 3, 607; Mart. 4, 40, 5; 10, 104, 9.

Origins

Doublet of brevissima (“shortest”), superlative form of brevis (“short”), without reformation of the superlative ending; parallel e.g. to extrēmus (see -issimus for more). The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year.

Gallo-Romance
  • Catalanbroma
  • Occitanbrumafrom Old Occitan bruma
  • Frenchbrumefrom Old Occitan bruma
  • Englishbrumefrom Old Occitan bruma
Ibero-Romance
  • Portuguesebrumafrom Old Galician-Portuguese bruma
  • Spanishbruma
  • Aragonesebruma
  • Galicianbrumafrom Old Galician-Portuguese bruma
Balkano-Romance
  • Romanianbrumă
  • Aromanianbrumã
  • Albanianbrymë
Italo-Romance
  • Italianbruma
Elsewhere
  • Romanianbrumarfrom Vulgar Latin *brūmārius
  • Aromanianbrumarfrom Vulgar Latin *brūmārius
  • Albanianbrymësfrom Vulgar Latin *brūmārius
  • Friulianbrumârfrom Vulgar Latin *brūmārius
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Friulianbrume

In English words that came into English from brūma

  • brumalbrūmālis
  • brumousbrūmōsus
  • brumebrūma

Quick answers

What does brūma mean in Latin?
brūma, a noun, means “the winter solstice; winter, winter cold”.
What is the genitive of brūma?
The genitive singular is brūmae. brūma is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce brūma?
In classical Latin, [ˈbruː.ma]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈbruː.ma].
Which English words come from brūma?
English words that go back to Latin brūma include brume, brumal and brumous.