LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

cultūra

cultūra f (genitive cultūrae)
Classical[kʊɫˈtuː.ra]Ecclesiastical[kulˈtuː.ra]

Meaning

  1. care, cultivation; agriculture, tillage, husbandry
    Cuius quidem nōn ūtilitās mē sōlum, ut ante dīxī, sed etiam cultūra et nātūra ipsa dēlectat: adminiculōrum ōrdinēs, capitum iugātiō, religātiō et propāgātiō vītium, sarmentōrum ea, quam dīxī aliōrum amputātiō, aliōrum immissiō.Indeed, it is not only the utility of the vine that delights me, as I said before, but the manner of cultivation and its very nature: the rows of stakes, the yoking of the tops, the binding and layering of the vines, and that process I mentioned — the pruning of some shoots and the letting grow of others.106 BCE – 43 BCE, Cicero, Cato Maior de Senectute 15.53
  2. culture, cultivation
  3. Medieval Latinadoration, veneration

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativecultūracultūrae
genitivecultūraecultūrārum
dativecultūraecultūrīs
accusativecultūramcultūrās
ablativecultūrācultūrīs
vocativecultūracultūrae

cultūra, ae, f. 1. colo.
I. A cultivating, care, cultivation: agri, Varr. R. R. 2, praef. § 4; Cic. Sen. 15, 54; Suet. Aug. 42 al.: agelli, Lucr. 5, 1366; cf. Cic. Agr. 2, 30, 83; 2, 35, 94; id. Fl. 29, 71, and agricultura: vitis, id. Fin. 5, 14, 39.—In plur.: agri culturas docuit usus, Lucr. 5, 1447.—
b. Absol., agriculture, tillage, husbandry, in the broadest sense (cf. agricola), Varr. R. R. 1, 18; 1, 7; Quint. 10, 2, 2; Hor. C. 3, 24, 14.—In plur., of the several parts of husbandry, Col. 11, 1, 30; 11, 2, 3.—
II. Trop.
A. Care, culture, cultivation: cultura animi philosophia est, Cic. Tusc. 2, 5, 13 (v. the figure in connection); so absol.: culturae patientem commodare aurem, Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 40.—
B. An honoring: potentis amici, i. e. a courting, flattering, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 86.—
2. Of religious worship (late Lat.): Dei, Lact. 5, 7 al.; Tert. Apol. 21.; Lampr. Heliog. 3 fin.

Origins

From colō (“to till, cultivate”) + -tūra.

Descendants
  • Catalancultura
  • Englishculturefrom Middle French culture
  • Frenchculture
  • GermanKultur
  • Italiancultura
  • Italiancoltura
  • Occitancultura
  • Portuguesecultura
  • Romaniancultură
  • Spanishcultura

In English words that came into English from cultūra

  • culturecultūra
  • agricultureagricultūra
  • horticulture*horticultūra
  • viticulturevītis
  • arboriculturearbor
  • arviculturearvum
  • boviculturebos
  • kulturcultūra
  • terracultureterra
  • criniculturalcrinis
  • stirpiculturestirps

Quick answers

What does cultūra mean in Latin?
cultūra, a noun, means “care, cultivation; agriculture, tillage, husbandry; culture, cultivation”.
What is the genitive of cultūra?
The genitive singular is cultūrae. cultūra is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce cultūra?
In classical Latin, [kʊɫˈtuː.ra]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [kulˈtuː.ra].
Which English words come from cultūra?
English words that go back to Latin cultūra include culture, viticulture, arboriculture, arviculture, boviculture and kultur.