English → Latin
“lyric” in Latin
lyricusOf or pertaining to the lute.; lyric (of or pertaining to the lyre)melicusmusical, tuneful, melodious; lyricalpoētapoet
The English word lyric itself goes back to Latin lyricus.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
lyric
lyricus; melicus. A lyric poet, poeta lyricus, poeta melicus, melicus (general term): the lyric poets, lyriti, melici (all of the Silver Age; in Cic., Or., 55, 183); also, by by circumlocution poetae, qui λυρικοί a Graecis nominantur: a lyric poem, carmen lyricum, melicum: lyrics, poësis melica.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for lyric?
- The usual Latin words for “lyric” are lyricus, melicus, poēta. 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.