LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinethird declension

follis

follis m (genitive follis)
Classical[ˈfɔl.lɪs]Ecclesiastical[ˈfɔl.lis]

Meaning

  1. masculinebellows
  2. masculinepurse, sack, money bag
  3. broadlymasculinea small value coin
  4. masculinean inflated ball
  5. masculinepaunch, belly
  6. masculinepoeticpuffed cheeks

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativefollisfollēs
genitivefollisfollium
dativefollīfollibus
accusativefollemfollēs
follīs
ablativefollefollibus
vocativefollisfollēs

follis, is, m. cf. flo.
I. Lit.
A. A pair of bellows: formae, quas vos effici sine follibus et sine incudibus non putatis, Cic. N. D. 1, 20, 54; cf.: folle fabrili flando accenderunt, Liv. 38, 7, 12; Verg. G. 4, 171; id. A. 8, 449: Hor. S. 1, 4, 19; Pers. 5, 11.—
B. A playing-ball inflated with wind, a windball: ego te follem pugillatorium faciam, et pendentem incursabo pugnis, Plaut. Rud. 3, 4, 16: folle decet pueros ludere, folle senes, Mart. 14, 47, 2; 4, 19, 5; cf. folliculus, I. B.—
C. A leathern money-bag: et tenso folle reverti Inde domum possis, Juv. 14, 281; so Dig. 35, 1, 82; Veg. Mil. 2, 20; Plaut. Aul. 2, 4, 23.—
2. Transf., a small piece of money: centum folles aeris, Lampr. Heliog. 22: quinquaginta folles petere, Aug. Civ. D. 22, 8; id. adv. Crescent. 3, 29.—
D. A cushion or pillow inflated with air, a wind-cushion, Lampr. Heliog. 25, 2.—
II. Transf., the stomach: devorata in follem ventris recondere, Macr. S. 7, 4.—Poet., puffed cheeks: tunc immensa cavi spirant (causidici) mendacia folles, Juv. 7, 111.

Origins

Probably inherited from Proto-Indo-European *bʰolǵʰ-n-is, o-grade i-stem derivative of *bʰelǵʰ- (“to swell”) with an *-n- suffix (though De Vaan is skeptical of any etymology and leaves the origin open). Cognates include Sanskrit ब॒र्हिस् (barhís, “straw, sacrificial straw”), Old English belġ (“bulge, bag, purse”) (English belly) and belġan (“to swell with anger”), Old Prussian balsinis (“cushion”) and Old Irish bolg (“belly; bag; bellows”). Or simply from Proto-Indo-European *bʰol-n-is, ultimately from the same root, i.e. *bʰel- (“to blow”), from which *bʰelǵʰ- appears to be derived.

Gallo-Romance
  • Occitanhòufrom Old Occitan fol
  • Occitanfòlfrom Old Occitan fol
  • Occitanfòufrom Old Occitan fol
  • Old Frenchfol
Ibero-Romance
  • Portuguesefole
  • Spanishfuelle
  • Spanishfollar
  • Asturianfuelle
  • Galicianfol
Insular Romance
  • Sardinianfodhe
Balkano-Romance
  • Romanianfoale
  • Aromanianfoali
  • Istro-Romanianfoie
  • Megleno-Romanianfoali
Italo-Dalmatian
  • Italianfolle
  • Sicilianfoḍḍi
  • Venetanfolo
  • Venetanfoło
  • Venetanfol
Borrowings
  • Englishfollis
  • Alemannic GermanFolle
  • Arabicفِلْسfrom Ancient Greek φόλλις
  • Middle Welshffollfrom Proto-Brythonic *foll

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

AntiquitiesFollisFollis dim. FOLLICULUS, an inflated ball of leather, no doubt originally the skin of a quadruped filled with air. The Roman games of ball (Marquardt r…

Quick answers

What does follis mean in Latin?
follis, a noun, means “bellows; purse, sack, money bag; a small value coin”.
What is the genitive of follis?
The genitive singular is follis. follis is masculine, third declension.
How do you pronounce follis?
In classical Latin, [ˈfɔl.lɪs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈfɔl.lis].