LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

gena

gena f (genitive genae)
Classical[ˈɡɛ.na]Ecclesiastical[ˈd͡ʒɛː.na]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. femininecheek
    Lacrimae perēdēre hūmōre exsanguēs genās.c. 45 BCE, Cicero, Tusculanae disputationes 3.12
  2. feminineeye socket
  3. femininerareeye or eyelid

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

pars vultūs sub oculīs.
gena -ae f — in Mille Verba, Corpus Hūmānum

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Mala · Maxilla · Gena

1. Mala (from μέμαχα, or from Mandere) denotes the upper, maxilla, the under jaw. Cels. Med. viii. 1. 2. Mala denotes the cheek as a usual expression, and in a merely physiological sense; gena (from γένυς) as a more ancient and select expression, and with an æsthetic reference. (vi. 208.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativegenagenae
genitivegenaegenārum
dativegenaegenīs
accusativegenamgenās
ablativegenāgenīs
vocativegenagenae

gĕna, ae, and more freq. gĕnae, ārum, f. Sanscr. hanus, jaw; ganda, cheek; cf. Gr. γένυς; Germ. Kinn, lit., the upper part of the face, from the cheek-bones to the eyelids; hence, in gen.,
I. a cheek; plur., the cheeks (cf.: bucca, mala).
I. Lit.: genae ab inferiore parte tutantur subjectae leniterque eminentes, Cic. N. D. 2, 57, 143; cf. Plin. 11, 37, 57, § 156 sqq.
(a). Plur.: ad haec omnia exprimenda in palpebris etiam et genis est quoddam deserviens iis ministerium, Quint. 11, 3, 77; cf. Plin. 23, 1, 24, § 49: ad genarum crassitudines et oculorum albugines, id. 32, 9, 31, § 98: MVLIERES GENAS NE RADVNTO, Fragm. XII. Tab. ap. Cic. Leg. 2, 23 fin.; Plin. 11, 37, 58, § 157; Fest. s. v. radere, p. 273 Müll.: lacrimae peredere humore exsangues genas, Poët. (perh. Pacuv.) ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 12, 26; cf.: manat rara meas lacrima per genas, Hor. C, 4, 1, 34: lacrimis humectent ora genasque, Lucr. 1, 920; cf. id. 2, 977; 3, 469: pulchrae, Hor. C. 4, 13, 8: nunc primum opacat flore lanugo genas, Pac. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 94 Müll. (Trag. Rel. p. 103 Rib.): pilosae, Cic. Pis. 1, 1: erasae, Prop. 4 (5), 8, 26. tum mihi prima genas vestibat flore juventa, Verg. A. 8, 160: leves, Quint. 12, 10, 8: confusa pudore sensi me totis erubuisse genis, Ov. H. 21, 112; Vulg. Cant. 1, 9 al.—
(b). Sing.: atque genua comprimit arta gena, i. e. presses (beseechingly) the cheek close to his knee, Enn. ap. Isid. Orig. 11, 1, 109 dub. (cf. Vahl. Enn. p. 176): genam non leviter perstringere, Suet. Claud. 15 fin.: gena inferior, superior, Plin. 11, 37, 57, § 156 (v. above).—
II. Transf.: genae (not in sing.).
A. In Ennius for palpebrae, the eyelids: genas Ennius palpebras putat, cum dicit hoc versu: Pandite sulti' genas et corde relinquite somnum, Paul. ex Fest. s. h. v. p. 94 Müll. (Ann. v. 521 Vahl.): imprimitque genae genam, Enn. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 6, 686 (Trag. v. 436 Vahl.).—
B. The eye or eyes (poet.): exustaeque tuae mox, Polypheme, genae, Prop. 3, 12 (4, 11), 26: cornicum immeritas eruit ungue genas, id. 4 (5), 5, 16; Ov. P. 2, 8, 66; id. H. 20, 206.—
C. The sockets of the eyes: expilatque genis oculos, Ov. M. 13, 562.

Origins

From Proto-Italic *genā, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵénu-, *ǵénus (“chin, jaw, cheek”). The declension was most likely changed to avoid confusion with genus. Cognates include Ancient Greek γένῡ̆ς (génū̆s), Sanskrit हनु (hánu), Persian چانه (čâne), Tocharian A śanweṃ, Old Armenian ծնաւտ (cnawt), Lithuanian žandas, Welsh gen, and Old English ċinn (English chin).

Descendants
  • Englishgena
  • Italiangena
  • Romaniangeană
  • Aromaniandzeanã
  • Aromaniandziane

In English words that came into English from gena

  • genalgena
  • genagena

Quick answers

What does gena mean in Latin?
gena, a noun, means “cheek; eye socket; eye or eyelid”.
What is the genitive of gena?
The genitive singular is genae. gena is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce gena?
In classical Latin, [ˈɡɛ.na]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈd͡ʒɛː.na].