LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

lactūca

lactūca f (genitive lactūcae)
Classical[ɫakˈtuː.ka]Ecclesiastical[lakˈtuː.ka]

Meaning

  1. lettuce (Lactuca sativa), wolf's milk (Lactuca maritima), and other Lactuca species

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativelactūcalactūcae
genitivelactūcaelactūcārum
dativelactūcaelactūcīs
accusativelactūcamlactūcās
ablativelactūcālactūcīs
vocativelactūcalactūcae

lactūca, ae, f. lac.
I. Lettuce, Plin. 19, 8, 38, § 125 sqq.; Col. 10, 179; 11, 3, 25 sq.; Verg. M. 76; Cels. 2, 32; Mart. 13, 14, 1; several species are described by Plin. H. N. 20, 7, 24, § 58 sqq.—
II. Lactuca marina, the plant wolf's-milk, Cels. 5, 7; Col. 6, 15, 2.

Origins

From lac (“milk”) + -ūcus (suffix common to several plant names), in reference to the milky white substance (latex) exuded by cut lettuce stems.

Insular Romance
  • Sardinianlattuca
  • Sardinianlàtua
  • Sardinianlàtia
  • Sardinianlatuca
Southern Gallo-Romance
  • Catalanlletuga
  • Catalanlletruga
  • Catalanlletua
  • Septentrionallleitugafrom Catalan lletuga
  • Auvergnatlaituja
  • Gasconlèituga
  • Languedocienlaituga
  • Languedocienlachuga
  • Limousinlaituja
  • Provençallachuga
Italo-Dalmatian
  • Italianlattuca
  • Italianlattuga
  • Sicilianlattuca
  • Venetanlatuga
  • Proto-Slavic*loťika
Ibero-Romance
  • Portugueseleituga
  • Spanishlechuga
  • Asturianllechuga
  • Asturianlleituga
  • Leoneselleituga
  • Galicianleitugafrom Old Galician-Portuguese leituga
Balkano-Romance
  • Romanianlăptucă
  • Aromanianlãptucã
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Friulianlatuie
Gallo-Italic
  • Emilianlaciuga
  • Ligurianleitûga
  • Lombardlaciuga
  • Piedmonteselaitùa
Northern Gallo-Romance
  • Franco-Provençallètua
  • Franco-Provençallèitua
  • Franco-Provençallètuva
  • Franco-Provençallèituva
  • Old Frenchlaitue
Borrowings
  • Proto-West Germanic*lahtukā

Quick answers

What does lactūca mean in Latin?
lactūca, a noun, means “lettuce (Lactuca sativa), wolf's milk (Lactuca maritima), and other Lactuca species”.
What is the genitive of lactūca?
The genitive singular is lactūcae. lactūca is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce lactūca?
In classical Latin, [ɫakˈtuː.ka]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [lakˈtuː.ka].