noun · femininefirst declension
catēna
catēna f (genitive catēnae)
Classical[kaˈteː.na]Ecclesiastical[kaˈtɛː.na]
Mille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- chain
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
vincula ferrea; fūr catēnīs vinctus est.catēna -ae f — in Mille Verba, Urbs et Aedificia
vinculum ferreumcatēna -ae (f) — in IVLIANVS I: Gallia, ch. 2, 15, Evangelium secundum Marcum, ch. 8, Epistulae, ch. 14 and Metamorphoses I, ch. 10
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Vincula · Catenæ · Compedes · Pedicæ · Manicæ
Vincula (ἀγκάλη, from nectere) are bands of any sort, as a generic term for catenæ, etc., like δεσμοί; catenæ are chains, whether for fettering or for other uses, like ἁλύσεις; compedes (from πέδη), for fettering in general, the hands or the feet; pedicæ, irons for fettering the feet; manicæ, irons for fettering the hands. Tac. Ann. vi. 14. Celsus in vinculis laxatam catenam, et circumdatam in diversum tendens suam ipse cervicem perfregit. (iv. 284.)
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | catēna catēnula | catēnae catēnulae |
| genitive | catēnae catēnulae | catēnārum catēnulārum |
| dative | catēnae catēnulae | catēnīs catēnulīs |
| accusative | catēnam catēnulam | catēnās catēnulās |
| ablative | catēnā catēnulā | catēnīs catēnulīs |
| vocative | catēna catēnula | catēnae catēnulae |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- in vincula, in catenas conicere aliquem
- to put some one in irons, chains.
cătēna, ae, f. (once with
I. num. distrib. as piur. tantum:
trinis catenis vinctus, Caes. B. G. 1, 53) [Sanscr. kat, to fall away; cf. catax]. I. A wooden bracket, brace, etc., for holding two beams together, Cato, R. R. 18, 9; Vitr. 7, 3; Pall. 1, 3, 1.—
II. A chain,
A. Used as a fetter, shackle, etc.; usu. in plur. (syn. vincula):
catenis vincire aliquem, Plaut. Men. 1, 1, 3; Ov. M. 15, 601 al.: catenas indere alicui, Plaut. Capt. 1, 2, 3: in catenas conicere aliquem, Caes. B. G. 1, 47; Liv. 29, 21, 2: catenas inicere alicui, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 41, § 106: in catenis aliquem Romam mittere, Liv. 29, 21, 12: in catenis aliquem per urbem ducere, id. 45, 40, 6: eximere se ex catenis, Plaut. Men. 1, 1, 8: rumpere catenas, Hor. S. 2, 7, 71: catenas alicui exsolvere, Tac. H. 3, 31 al.—In sing., Liv. 24, 34, 10; Cat. 64, 297; Verg. A. 6, 558; Hor. S. 1, 5, 65; Curt. 4, 3, 22; 7, 5, 36; Tac. A. 4, 28; 6, 14; Suet. Aug. 94; Sen. Ep. 9, 8; Plin. 34, 15, 43, § 150.—2. Of a chain stopping the entrance of a harbor:
catena ferrea valde robusta, Amm. 26, 8, 8.—3. Trop., a constraint, fetter, barrier, bond:
taetra belua, constricta legum sacratarum catenis, Cic. Sest. 7, 16: compesce animum frenis, catenā, Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 63: validā teneamur catenā, Tib. 4, 5, 15; 4, 1, 117: splendidiore nunc eos catenā sed multo graviore vinctos esse, quam cum, etc., Liv. 35, 38, 10: qui ad superiora progressus est.. laxam catenam trahit nondum liber, Sen. Vit. Beat. 16, 3; id. Tranq. 10, 3.—B. A chain of gold or silver worn by women as an ornament, Plin. 33, 3, 12, § 40; Paul. Sent. 3, 6, 84.—
C. A series of things connected together, a chain, series, Lucr. 6, 910 (but id. 2, 630, is a false reading for quod armis; v. Lachm.).—
D. Trop.:
(praecepta oratoria) in catenas ligare, Quint. 5, 14, 32.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
catēna ae, f
CAT-, a chain, fetter, shackle: ferrea, Cs.: catenā vinctus, Ta.: collo inserta catena, Cu.: firma, L.: stridor tractae catenae, V. donasse catenam Laribus, i. e. to have been a slave, H.—Usu. plur: alqm vincire catenis, O.: in catenas conicere alqm, Cs.: catenas inicere alcui: alqm in catenis Romam mittere, L.: catenas alcui exsolvere, Ta.: rumpere catenas, H.—Fig., a constraint, fetter, barrier, bond: belua constricta legum sacratarum catenis: validā teneamur catenā, Tb.: mille adde catenas, clauses of obligation (in a bond), H.
Origins
From Proto-Italic *katesnā, further etymology unknown. Probably connected with caterva (“crowd”) and cassis (“hunting-net”). Pokorny derives catēna, caterva, and cassis from Proto-Indo-European *kat- (“to link or weave together; chain, net”), with casa as another possible cognate. Martirosyan connects cassis and catēna with Old Armenian ցանց (cʻancʻ, “casting-net”) and derives all from a Mediterranean substrate.
Borrowings
- Catalancatena
- Englishcatena
- Frenchcatène
- Portuguesecatena
- Romaniancatenă
- Basquekatea
- Interlinguacatena
- Bretonchadennfrom Proto-Brythonic *kaduɨn
- Welshcadwynfrom Proto-Brythonic *kaduɨn
- Proto-West Germanic*katinnjā
Insular Romance
- Sardiniancadena
- Sardiniancarena
- Sardiniancatena
Italo-Dalmatian
- Italiancatena
- Frenchcadènefrom Italian catena
- Italiancadena
- Corsicancatena
- Dalmatiancataina
- Aromaniancadenãfrom Italian catena
- Aromaniancatinãfrom Italian catena
- Siciliancatina
- Venetancadéna
- Venetancaéna
Northern Gallo-Romance
- Frenchchaînefrom Old French chaeine
- Frenchchainefrom Old French chaeine
- Englishchainfrom Old French chaeine
- Franco-Provençalchêna
- Franco-Provençalcheina
- Franco-Provençalchaena
- Franco-Provençalchana
- Champenoischônfrom Old French chaeine
- Haitian Creolechennfrom Old French chaeine
- Esperantoĉenofrom Old French chaeine
Ibero-Romance
- Portuguesecadeiafrom Old Galician-Portuguese cadea
- Spanishcadenafrom Old Spanish cadena
- Aragonesecadena
- Asturiancadena
- Falacadeafrom Old Galician-Portuguese cadea
- Galiciancadeafrom Old Galician-Portuguese cadea
Balkano-Romance
- Romaniancătină
- Aromaniancãtinã
Southern Gallo-Romance
- Catalancadena
- Auvergnatchadenafrom Old Occitan cadena
- Auvergnatchainafrom Old Occitan cadena
- Gasconcadeafrom Old Occitan cadena
- Gasconcainafrom Old Occitan cadena
- Gasconcadenhafrom Old Occitan cadena
- Languedociencadenafrom Old Occitan cadena
- Limousinchadenafrom Old Occitan cadena
- Provençalcadenafrom Old Occitan cadena
- Vivaro-Alpinechadenafrom Old Occitan cadena
Rhaeto-Romance
- Romanshchadaina
- Romanshchadagna
- Romanshcadagna
Gallo-Italic
- Emiliancadèna
- Emiliancadèina
- Emiliancadäṅna
- Friuliancjadene
- Friuliančhadene
- Liguriancaena
- Ligurianchen-a
- Liguriancheina
- Liguriancadeñafrom Lombard cadena
- Piedmontesecaden-afrom Lombard cadena