formīca
Meaning
- ant
Ac velut ingentem formīcae farris acervum cum populant, hiemīs memorēs, tēctōque repōnunt; [...].
And just as ants, when they plunder a big heap of grain — mindful of winter — and store it in their nest; ….29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 4.402–403vāde ad formīcam ō piger et cōnsīderā viās eius et disce sapientiam Go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways, and learn wisdom (Douay-Rheims trans., Challoner rev.; 1752 CE)
c. 347 CE – 420 CE, Hieronymus, Vulgate Proverbs.6.6
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | formīca | formīcae furmīcae |
| genitive | formīcae furmīcae | formīcārum furmīcārum |
| dative | formīcae furmīcae | formīcīs furmīcīs |
| accusative | formīcam furmīcam | formīcās furmīcās |
| ablative | formīcā | formīcīs furmīcīs |
| vocative | formīca | formīcae furmīcae |
te faciam ut formicae frustillatim differant, Plaut. Curc. 4, 4, 20; Plin. 11, 30, 36, § 108; Cic. N. D. 3, 9, 21; Prop. 3, 13 (4, 12), 5; Verg. G. 1, 186; 380; id. A. 4, 402; Hor. S. 1, 1, 33 al.—Prov.: confit cito, Quam si formicis tu obicias papaverem, Plaut. Trin. 2, 4, 8.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
Origins
Traditionally, from a form with earlier initial /m/, such as Proto-Italic *mormīkā, considered to derive from Proto-Indo-European *morwi(s) (“ant”), a term with many deviating forms – probably taboo distortions – in various Indo-European languages. The irregular sound change can be explained by dissimilation of /m…m/ to /f…m/. Cognates would include Sanskrit वम्र (vamra), Ancient Greek μύρμηξ (múrmēx), Old Church Slavonic мравии (mravii), Polish mrówka, Old Irish moirb, Welsh myrion, Old Norse maurr, English mire. Compare especially Sanskrit वल्मीक (valmī́ka, “anthill”) and Iron Ossetian мӕлдзыг (mælʒyg, “ant”), which could point to Proto-Indo-European *morm-iH-ko-.
- Catalanformiga
- Catalanforniga
- Occitanformiga
- Gasconhormigafrom Occitan formiga
- Gasconhormicfrom Occitan formiga
- Gasconhromigafrom Occitan formiga
- Gasconahromigafrom Occitan formiga
- Limousinfermicfrom Occitan formiga
- Limousinfurmicfrom Occitan formiga
- Provençalfornigafrom Occitan formiga
- Portugueseformigafrom Old Galician-Portuguese formiga
- Spanishhormigafrom Old Spanish formiga
- Aragonesefornica
- Aragoneseforniga
- Aragoneseformiga
- Asturianformiga
- Leoneseformiga
- Mirandeseformiga
- Falafurnigafrom Old Galician-Portuguese formiga
- Falafulmigafrom Old Galician-Portuguese formiga
- Sardinianformiga
- Romanianfurnică
- Aromanianfurnicã
- Aromanianfurnigã
- Aromanianfurigã
- Aromanianfuricã
- Aromaniansfãrnicã
- Aromaniansfãrnigã
- Istro-Romanianfrunigĕ
- Megleno-Romanianfurnigă
- Italianformica
- Dalmatianformaica
- Istriotfurmeîga
- Venetanformìga
- Englishformic
- TranslingualFormica
- Friulianfurmie
- Ladinformía
- Ladinfurmia
- Romanshfurmia
- Emilianfurmîga
- Emilianformiga
- Ligurianfuimîa
- Lombardformiga
- Lombardfurmiga
- Lombardformea
- Piedmontesefurmija
- Piedmontesefurmìa
- Piedmonteseformija
- Piedmonteseformìa
- Franco-Provençalfromia
- Old Frenchfurmi
In English words that came into English from formīca
- formicformīca
- formicariumformīca
- formicationformīca
- formylformīca
- formicateformīca
- formicideformīca
- formicarianformīca
- formicanformīca
- formicaryformīca
- formicantformīca
- formicivorousformīca
- formiciformformīca