LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinesecond declension

cycnus

cycnus m (genitive cycnī)
Classical[ˈkyk.nʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈt͡ʃik.nus]

Meaning

  1. masculinea swan; a bird noted for its singing, and sacred to Apollo
    Quae noua tam similis genuit tibi Leda ministros?1993 translation by D. R. Shackleton Bailey What new Leda bore for you servitors so like? What naked Laconian girl was caught by another swan?86 CE – 103 CE, Martialis, Epigrammata 9.103
  2. figurativelymasculinea poet, especially one who sings

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

avis alba aquātica
cycnus -ī (m) — in Aeneis, ch. 23

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativecycnuscycnī
cignī, cygnī
genitivecycnī
cignī, cygnī		cycnōrum
cignōrum, cygnōrum
dativecycnō
cignō, cygnō		cycnīs
cignīs, cygnīs
accusativecycnum
cignum, cygnum		cycnōs
cignōs, cygnōs
ablativecycnō
cignō, cygnō		cycnīs
cignīs, cygnīs
vocativecycne
cigne, cygne		cycnī
cignī, cygnī

cȳ^cnus (in MSS. and edd. freq. also cȳ^gnus;
I. y, Hor. C. 4, 3, 20; Aus. Ep. 20, 8), i, m., = κύκνος, the swan; celebrated for its singing, esp. for its dying song; consecrated to Apollo, Cic. Tusc. 1, 30, 73; Plin. 10, 23, 32, § 63; Lucr. 4, 181; 4, 910; Verg. E. 7, 38; id. A. 1, 393; Ov. M. 5, 387; Hor. C. 4, 3, 20 et saep.; attached to the chariot of Venus, Ov. M. 10, 708; id. A. A. 3, 809.—
b. Prov.: quid contendat hirundo cycnis? Lucr. 3, 7; so also: certent cycnis ululae, Verg. E. 8, 55.—
B. Meton., for a poet: Dircaeus, i. e. Pindar, Hor. C. 4, 2, 25.
Cȳ^cnus (Cȳ^g-), i, m.
A. A king of the Ligurians, son of Sthenelus, related to Phæton, who was changed to a swan and placed among the stars, Ov. M. 2, 367; Verg. A. 10, 189; cf. Hyg. Fab. 154; id. Astr. 3, 7. —
B. A son of Neptune and Calyce; he was father of Tenes, and was changed into a swan, Ov. M. 12, 72 sq., cf. Hyg. Fab. 157.† † cўdărum, i, n., = κύδαρος, a sort of ship, acc. to Gell. 10, 25, 5.

Origins

Borrowed from Ancient Greek κῠ́κνος (kŭ́knos).

Descendants
  • Catalancigne
  • Italiancigno
  • Sardinianchíghinu
  • Englishcygnetfrom Old French cisne
  • Portuguesecisnefrom Old French cisne
  • Spanishcisnefrom Old French cisne
  • Sardiniansísinifrom Old French cisne
  • Sardiniancísinifrom Old French cisne
  • Frenchcygne
  • Emilianzéggn

Quick answers

What does cycnus mean in Latin?
cycnus, a noun, means “a swan; a bird noted for its singing, and sacred to Apollo; a poet, especially one who sings”.
What is the genitive of cycnus?
The genitive singular is cycnī. cycnus is masculine, second declension.
How do you pronounce cycnus?
In classical Latin, [ˈkyk.nʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈt͡ʃik.nus].