English → Latin
“library” in Latin
bibliothēcaa library (room for books or collection of books)bibliothēculasmall library; small collection of booksSymmachusA Roman cognomen — famously held by
The English word library itself goes back to Latin liber, through librarium.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
library
bibliotheca (the collection or the place). A respectable, good library, bona librorum copia (poetically): a small library, bibliothecula (Symmachus, Ep., 4, 18): a costly library, bibliotheca multorum nummorum: to form a library, bibliothecam instituere: to form a perfect library, bibliothecam supplere: to arrange a library, libros disponere; bibliothecam ordinare (Suet., Gramm., 12): to be over a library, bibliothecae praeesse; bibliothecam tractare: we sat down in the library of the Lyceum, in bibliotheca, quae in Lyceo est, assedimus: to shut up one’s self in one’s library, abdere se in bibliothecam.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for library?
- The usual Latin words for “library” are bibliothēca, bibliothēcula, Symmachus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.