LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinesecond declension

corvus

corvus m (genitive corvī)
Classical[ˈkɔr.wʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈkɔr.vus]

Meaning

  1. masculineA raven; a bird associated with prophecy and sacred to Apollo.
  2. masculineA gangplank, used in Roman naval combat for boarding enemy ships.
  3. masculineA battering ram.

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativecorvuscorvī
genitivecorvīcorvōrum
dativecorvōcorvīs
accusativecorvumcorvōs
ablativecorvōcorvīs
vocativecorvecorvī

corvus, i, m. root kar-, kal-, to sound; cf.: καλέω, κόραξ, etc.,
I. a raven, Plin. 10, 43, 60, § 121 sq.; acc. to the fable, orig. white, changed to a black bird in punishment for treachery, Ov. M. 2, 541 sq.; on account of its gift of prophecy (oscen, Hor. C. 3, 27, 11), consecrated to Apollo, Ov. M. 5, 329 (hence, Phoebeïus ales, id. ib. 2, 545: Delphicus ales, Petr. 122; cf. also Stat. Th. 3, 506); its flight to the right indicated good fortune, Plaut. As. 2, 1, 12; Cic. Div. 1, 39, 85.—
B. Prov.: in cruce corvos pascere, to be hanged, Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 48.—
II. Meton., of bodies whose form or coloring is similar to that of the raven's bill.
A. In form.
1. A military implement, a grapnel, Curt. 4, 2, 12; 4, 3, 24 Mützell.—
2. A battering-ram, Vitr. 10, 19.—
3. A surgical instrument, in the form of a hook, Cels. 7, 19, § 33.—
4. The constellation Corvus, Vitr. 9, 7; Hyg. Astr. 3, 39.—
B. From its color, a sea-fish, Plin. 32, 11, 53, § 146; Cels. 2, 18; Aus. Ep. 4, 63.—
C. In mal. part. = fellator, Juv. 2, 63; cf. Mart. 14, 74.

Origins

From Proto-Italic *korwos, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱorh₂wós, from a root *ḱorh₂- (“crow, raven”), imitative of harsh sounds; see cornīx (“crow”) for more. The word has been decomposed as from *ḱer- (compare Latin crepō (“to creak, crack”), Sanskrit कृपते (kṛ́pate, “he laments, implores”)) + *-wós (whence Latin -vus).

Sardinian
  • Sardiniancolbu
  • Sardiniancrobu
  • Sardiniancolvu
  • Sardiniancorbu
  • Sardiniancorvu
Elsewhere
  • Frenchcorbeaufrom Late Latin corbellus
  • Englishcorbeaufrom Late Latin corbellus
  • Englishcorbiefrom Late Latin corbellus
  • Englishcorbelfrom Late Latin corbellus
  • Englishcorvus
  • Emiliancôrv
  • Mauritian Creolekorbofrom Late Latin corbellus
  • Scotscorbiefrom Late Latin corbellus
  • Esperantokorvo
  • TranslingualCorvus
Gallo-Romance
  • Catalancorb
  • Occitancòrb
  • Old Frenchcorf
  • Old Frenchcorb
  • Old Frenchcorp
  • Old Frenchcrop
Ibero-Romance
  • Portuguesecorvofrom Old Galician-Portuguese corvo
  • Spanishcuervofrom Old Spanish cuervo
  • Asturiancuervu
  • Asturiancuorvu
  • Asturiancuirvu
  • Falacolvufrom Old Galician-Portuguese corvo
  • Falacorvufrom Old Galician-Portuguese corvo
  • Galiciancorvofrom Old Galician-Portuguese corvo
Balkan Romance
  • Romaniancorb
  • Albaniankorb
  • Aromaniancorbu
  • Istro-Romaniancorb
  • Megleno-Romaniancorb
  • Megleno-Romaniancuărb
Italo-Romance
  • Italiancorvo
  • Siciliancorvu
  • Siciliancorbu
  • Venetancorvo
  • Venetancorf
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Friuliancorvat
  • Ladincorf
  • Romanshcorv

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

AntiquitiesCorvusCorvus a sort of crane, used by C. Duilius. against the Carthaginian fleet in the battle fought off Mylae, in Sicily (B.C. 260). The Romans, we are to…

Quick answers

What does corvus mean in Latin?
corvus, a noun, means “A raven; a bird associated with prophecy and sacred to Apollo.; A gangplank, used in Roman naval combat for boarding enemy ships.”.
What is the genitive of corvus?
The genitive singular is corvī. corvus is masculine, second declension.
How do you pronounce corvus?
In classical Latin, [ˈkɔr.wʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈkɔr.vus].