noun · femininefirst declension
cara
cara f (genitive carae)
Meaning
- Late LatinMedieval Latinfemininerarethe head
'Gargara' quasi cara, caros, idest 'caput, capitis'
Corpus Glossariorum Latinorum, 4 587.8 (etymologising on Virgil's Georgics III, 269)dente[…]dolentibus et carā satis antidotī adpositum prōdest
Antidotarium Bambergense, 19
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | cara | carae |
| genitive | carae | carārum |
| dative | carae | carīs |
| accusative | caram | carās |
| ablative | carā | carīs |
| vocative | cara | carae |
Origins
Apparently borrowed from Ancient Greek κάρᾱ (kárā, “head, face”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥h₂-(e)s-n-, from the root *ḱerh₂- (“top, head, horn”). Cognate to Latin cornū, corvus, crabrō, cerebrum and cernuus. Attested tenuously in a single late Latin glossary, where it is given as Greek, and then in medieval Latin documents from Spain. Appears in Romance languages with the meaning “face, facial features” (corresponding to Latin vultus).
Southern Gallo-Romance
- Catalancara
- Sardiniancarafrom Catalan cara
- Occitancara
- Occitancaratge
- Aragonesecara
- Nord-Occitancharafrom Occitan cara
Northern Gallo-Romance
- Frenchchèrefrom Old French chiere
- Englishcheerfrom Old French chiere
- Dutchsierfrom Old French chiere
Ibero-Romance
- Portuguesecarafrom Old Galician-Portuguese cara
- Spanishcarafrom Old Spanish cara
- Asturiancarafrom Old Leonese cara
- Extremadurancarafrom Old Leonese cara
- Leonesecarafrom Old Leonese cara
- Mirandesecarafrom Old Leonese cara
- Falacarafrom Old Galician-Portuguese cara
- Galiciancarafrom Old Galician-Portuguese cara
North Italian
- Galluresecerafrom Old Ligurian cera
- Liguriancêafrom Old Ligurian cera
- Sassaresecerafrom Old Ligurian cera
- Piedmontesecera