LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

dēliciae

dēliciae f pl (genitive dēliciārum)
Classical[deːˈlɪ.ki.ae̯]Ecclesiastical[deˈliː.t͡ʃi.e]

Meaning

  1. delight, pleasure (an activity which affords enjoyment)
    dēliciās facereto enjoy oneself, to have fun (also in erotic sense)
  2. decorations, delicacies, erotic verse
  3. charms (pleasing physical attributes)
  4. darling, sweetheart, favourite, pet
    in dēliciīs habēreto treat as a pet, favourite; to cherish
    in dēliciīs esseto be a pet, favourite; to be cherished
  5. specificallypet, housepet
  6. comforts, luxuries (conditions affording physical or mental ease)
    Nōn quidquid nōs offendit et laedit; sed ad rabiem cōgunt pervenīre dēliciae, ut quidquid nōn ex voluntāte respondit īram ēvocet.Not everything that offends us also harms us; but our comforts compel us toward madness, so that whatever does not respond to our will provokes anger. (In context, Seneca is referring to the attitude of entitlement resulting from the pampered lifestyle of a master surrounded by obedient slaves.)c. 4 BCE – 65 CE, Seneca Minor, Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium 47.19
  7. elegant, affected manners; airs
  8. mannerisms, whims, niceties
  9. gourmet, voluptuary

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominative—dēliciae
genitive—dēliciārum
dative—dēliciīs
accusativedēliciamdēliciās
ablative—dēliciīs
vocative—dēliciae

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

deliciis diffluere
to wanton in the pleasures of sense.
amores et deliciae alicuius
somebody's darling.
mel ac deliciae alicuius (Fam. 8. 8. 1)
somebody's darling.
in amore et deliciis esse alicui (active in deliciis habere aliquem)
to be some one's favourite.

dēlĭcĭae, ārum, f. (sing. dēlĭcĭa, ae, f.;
I. ante-and post-class., Plaut. Truc. 5, 29; id. Rud. 2, 4, 13; id. Poen. 1, 2, 152; Inscr. Grut. 1014, 5: dēlĭcĭum, ii, n., Phaedr. 4, 1, 8; Verg. Copa, 26; Mart. 7, 50, 2; 13, 98, 1; Inscr. Orell. 680; 1724; 2679 sq.; 4394; 4958. And dēlĭcĭus, ii, m., Inscr. Don. cl. 1, 132, and ap. Gorium Columb. Liv. p. 73, no. 4) [delicio; that which allures, flatters the senses], delight, pleasure, charm, allurement; deliciousness, luxuriousness, voluptuousness, curiosities of art; sport, frolics, etc. (freq. and class.; for syn. cf.: voluptas, libido, delectatio, oblectatio, delectamentum, oblectamentum).
I. Prop.: cogitatio amoenitatum ad delectationem, aut supellectilis ad delicias, aut epularum ad voluptates, Cic. Par. 1, 2; cf. Hor. Od. 4, 8, 10 et saep.: deliciarum causa et voluptatis cives Romanos cum mitella saepe vidimus, Cic. Rab. Post. 10: multarum deliciarum comes est extrema saltatio, id. Mur. 6: deliciis diffluentes, id. Lael. 15; Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 57; Sall. C. 31, 3; Hor. Ep. 1, 6, 31 et saep.: Herodotus Thucydidesque longissime a talibus deliciis vel potius ineptiis afuerunt, Cic. Or. 12 fin.; cf. Quint. 1, 11, 6; 12, 8, 4: delicias facere, to play tricks, to joke, to make sport of one, Plaut. Men. 2, 3, 30; id. Poen. 1, 2, 68; 83; on the contrary, to sport as lovers, Catull. 45, 24; 72, 2: amores et hae deliciae quae vocantur, Cic. Cael. 19: votorum, a dallying with, fondly prolonging, Juv. 10, 291: ecce aliae deliciae (pretensions) equitum vix ferendae, Cic. Att. 1, 17, 9: esse in deliciis alicui, to be any one's favorite, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 1 fin.; so id. Vatin. 8 fin.; Lucr. 4, 1152: aliquid in deliciis habere, Cic. Div. 1, 34 fin.: habere aliquem in deliciis, Suet. Vit. 12: in deliciis vivere, Vulg. Apoc. 18, 9. —
II. Transf., of living beings: delight, darling, sweetheart, beloved: tu urbanus scurra, deliciae popli, Plaut. Most. 1, 1, 14: mea voluptas, meae deliciae, mea vita, mea amoenitas, id. Poen. 1, 2, 152: amores ac deliciae tuae Roscius, Cic. Div. 1, 36, 79; cf. id. Att. 16, 6 fin.; id. Phil. 6, 5; and the well-known appellation of Titus: amor ac deliciae generis humani, Suet. Tit. 1: C. Sempronium Rufum mel ac delicias tuas, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 8: Corydon ardebat Alexim, Delicias domini, Verg. E. 2, 2; cf. id. ib. 9, 22, Cat. 6, 1: verba ne Alexandrinis quidem permittenda deliciis, favorite slaves, Quint. 1, 2, 7: aegrae solaque libidine fortes Deliciae, a voluptuary, minion, Juv. 4, 4; Petr. 67; Stat. Silv. 5, 5, 67; cf. Plutarch, Anton. 59: delicias hominis, a precious fellow! Juv. 6, 47.

Origins

From the once-attested dēliciō, from dē- + laciō (“to snare, entice”), the base verb of dēlectō.

Descendants
  • Catalandelícia
  • Frenchdélice
  • Italiandelizia
  • Portuguesedelícia
  • Spanishdelicia
  • Polishdelicja

In English words that came into English from dēliciae

  • deliciousdeliciosus
  • delicatedēlicātus

Quick answers

What does dēliciae mean in Latin?
dēliciae, a noun, means “delight, pleasure (an activity which affords enjoyment); darling, sweetheart, favourite, pet; comforts, luxuries (conditions affording physical or mental ease)”.
What is the genitive of dēliciae?
The genitive singular is dēliciārum. dēliciae is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce dēliciae?
In classical Latin, [deːˈlɪ.ki.ae̯]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [deˈliː.t͡ʃi.e].