LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

cucurbita

cucurbita f (genitive cucurbitae)
Classical[kʊˈkʊr.bɪ.ta]Ecclesiastical[kuˈkur.bi.ta]

Meaning

  1. Classical LatinLate LatinMedieval Latinfeminineround or oval or similar varieties allowed to ripen, by which time they are inedible because they harden, and used as vessels or for making instruments
  2. Classical LatinLate LatinMedieval Latinfemininelong, snake- or cucumber-like varieties eaten unripe, similar to the modern Lagenaria siceraria var. longissima still grown in the south of Italy (in widespread terms, resembling zucchini or courgettes but with the texture of potato)
  3. derogatoryfemininedolt
  4. Late Latinfemininebryony (with epithets meaning "wild": silvātica, silvestris, errātica)
  5. Late Latinfemininecolocynth (with epithets meaning "wild": silvātica, silvestris, agrestis, and with Aegyptia, Alexandrīna)
  6. New Latinfemininesquash, pumpkin (gourds of the botanical genus Cucurbita native to the New World)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativecucurbitacucurbitae
genitivecucurbitaecucurbitārum
dativecucurbitaecucurbitīs
accusativecucurbitamcucurbitās
ablativecucurbitācucurbitīs
vocativecucurbitacucurbitae

cŭcurbĭta, ae, f.,
I. a gourd.
I. Prop., Col. 11, 3, 48 sq.; Plin. 19, 5, 24, § 69 sq.; Pall. Mart. 9, 16.—
II. Transf., in medic. lang., a cup, cupping-glass (of similar form), Scrib. Comp. 46; 67; Juv. 14, 58: cucurbitae medicinales, Plin. 32, 10, 42, § 123 al.—
III. Trop., a blockhead, Petr. 39.

Origins

Possibly a loanword related to cucumis (“cucumber”), or to corbis (“basket”), corbīta (“freight vessel”). Maybe from Sanskrit चिर्भट m (cirbhaṭa, “long melon, Cucumis melo subsp. melo var. conomon syn. Cucumis melo var. utilissimus”), चर्भट m (carbhaṭa, “idem”), चिर्भटी f (cirbhaṭī, “idem”), but the mediation is unknown. Compare Old English hwerhwette.

Insular Romance
  • Sardiniancurcuvica
  • Sardiniancocorfica
  • Sardiniancocorvica
  • Sardiniancorcoriga
  • Sardiniancolcorija
  • Sardiniancurcufica
  • Sardiniancrocoriga
  • Sardiniantzoca
Gallo-Romance
  • Frenchgourdefrom Old French coorde
  • Frenchcourgefrom Old French coorde
  • Englishgourdfrom Old French coorde
  • Occitancogorda
  • Occitancocorda
  • Occitangorda
  • Franco-Provençalcorda
  • Franco-Provençalgorda
Elsewhere
  • Italiancucurbita
  • Englishcucurbitfrom Middle French cucurbite
  • Portuguesecucúrbita
  • Spanishcucúrbita
  • Albaniankulte
  • Esperantokukurbo
  • Middle Dutchcucurbitefrom Middle French cucurbite
  • Proto-West Germanic*kurbit
Italo-Dalmatian
  • Italiancocuzza
  • Italianzucca
  • Neapolitancucozza
  • Siciliancucuzza
  • Venetancucucìa
  • Venetansuca
  • Venetanzhuca
  • Venetanzuca
Balkano-Romance
  • Romaniancurcubetă
  • Aromaniancurcubetã
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Friuliançucje
  • Friuliančučhe
  • Romanshzitga
  • Romanshzetga
  • Romanshzücha
  • Romanshzucca
Gallo-Italic
  • Emilianzócca
  • Piedmontesesuca

In English words that came into English from cucurbita

  • gourdcucurbita
  • courgettecucurbita
  • cucurbitcucurbita
  • cucurbitaceouscucurbita

Quick answers

What does cucurbita mean in Latin?
cucurbita, a noun, means “dolt; bryony (with epithets meaning "wild": silvātica, silvestris, errātica); colocynth (with epithets meaning "wild": silvātica, silvestris, agrestis, and with Aegyptia, Alexandrīna)”.
What is the genitive of cucurbita?
The genitive singular is cucurbitae. cucurbita is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce cucurbita?
In classical Latin, [kʊˈkʊr.bɪ.ta]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [kuˈkur.bi.ta].
Which English words come from cucurbita?
English words that go back to Latin cucurbita include gourd, courgette, cucurbit and cucurbitaceous.