LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinesecond declension

delphīnus

delphīnus m (genitive delphīnī)
Classical[dɛɫˈpʰiː.nʊs]Ecclesiastical[delˈfiː.nus]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. a dolphin (an aquatic mammal of the family Delphinidae or Platanistidae)
  2. the constellation Delphinus
  3. a kind of decorative furniture, possibly decorated with dolphins
  4. Medieval Latindauphin (the eldest son of the king of France)

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

animal maris quod in undīs lūdit et salit; amīcus nautārum.
delphīnus -ī m — in Mille Verba, Mare et Nāvēs
animal maris hominī amīcum
delphīnus -ī (m) — in Epistulae, ch. 6

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativedelphīnusdelphīnī
genitivedelphīnīdelphīnōrum
dativedelphīnōdelphīnīs
accusativedelphīnumdelphīnōs
ablativedelphīnōdelphīnīs
vocativedelphīnedelphīnī

delphīnus, i, and in the pure Greek form (poet.) delphīn, īnis (once also nom., delphis, = δελφίς, Avien. Arat. 699; cf. Serv. Verg. G. 1, 162; Prisc. p. 689 P.), m., = δελφίν,
I. a dolphin.
(a). Form delphinus, Plin. 9, 8, 7, § 20 sq.; Plin. Ep. 9, 33, 4 sq.; Gell. 7, 8; Cic. N. D. 27, 77; id. Div. 2, 70 fin.; Hor. A. P. 30; Juv. 6, 590; 10, 14.—
(b). Form delphin (cf. Phoc. Ars, p. 1705 P.); nom. delphin, Poëta ap. Pers. 1, 94; acc. delphīna, Ov. M. 6, 120; id. F. 2, 114; 6, 471; abl. delphine, Ov. M. 11, 237; plur. nom. delphines, Verg. A. 8, 673; Ov. M. 1, 302; id. Tr. 3, 10, 43 al.; gen. delphinum, Prop. 3, 17, 25 (4, 16, 25 M.); Verg. A. 3, 428 al.; acc. delphinas, id. E. 8, 56.—
II. Meton.
A. The Dolphin, a constellation.
(a). Nom. Delphinus, Col. 11, 2, 45; gen. delphini, Varr. R. R. 2, 5, 13; Col. 11, 2, 57. —
(b). Nom. delphin, Ov. F. 1, 457; 6, 720; acc. delphina, Ov. F. 2, 79; 6, 471.—
B. A water-organ shaped like a dolphin: aerei, Vitr. 10, 13.—
C. Certain showy articles of furniture, or perhaps mere ornaments on furniture, so called from their shape, Plin. 33, 11, 53, § 147.

Origins

Proto-Indo-European *gʷelbʰ-der. Ancient Greek δελφίς (delphís)bor. Latin delphīnus Borrowed from Ancient Greek δελφίς (delphís).

Descendants
  • Catalandofí
  • Catalandelfí
  • Frenchdauphin
  • GermanDelphin
  • GermanDelfin
  • Italiandelfino
  • Englishdolphinfrom Middle English delphyn
  • Occitandalfin
  • Portuguesegolfinhofrom Old Galician-Portuguese golfinno
  • Portuguesedelfim

Quick answers

What does delphīnus mean in Latin?
delphīnus, a noun, means “a dolphin (an aquatic mammal of the family Delphinidae or Platanistidae); the constellation Delphinus; a kind of decorative furniture, possibly decorated with dolphins”.
What is the genitive of delphīnus?
The genitive singular is delphīnī. delphīnus is masculine, second declension.
How do you pronounce delphīnus?
In classical Latin, [dɛɫˈpʰiː.nʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [delˈfiː.nus].