LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
proper noun · femininefirst declension

Lēthē

Lēthē f sg (genitive Lēthēs)
Classical[ˈɫeː.tʰeː]Ecclesiastical[ˈlɛː.te]

Meaning

  1. Greekthe river Lethe, the river of oblivion

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeLēthē—
genitiveLēthēs—
dativeLēthae—
accusativeLēthēn—
ablativeLēthē—
vocativeLēthē—
locativeLēthēs—

Lēthē, ēs, f., = Λήθη (forgetfulness),
I. the river Lethe, in the infernal regions, from which the Shades drank and obtained forgetfulness of the past: pocula Lethes, Ov. P. 2, 4, 23: da mihi hebetantem pectora Lethen, id. ib. 4, 1, 17: soporifera, id. Tr. 4, 1, 47: immittere Lethen Stygiam alicui in viscera, i. e. forgetfulness, Luc. 5, 221: aqua Lethes, i. q. soporifera, Ov. M. 11, 603.— Hence,
II. Lēthaeus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to Lethe, Lethean.
A. Lit.: ratis, Tib. 3, 5, 24: amnis, Verg. A. 6, 705: stagna, Prop. 4 (5), 7, 91.—
B. Transf.
1. Of or belonging to the infernal regions: Lethaei dii, Luc. 6, 685: tyrannus, i. e. Pluto, Col. 10, 271: Lethaea vincula abrumpere alicui, to bring one from the Lower World back to life, Hor. C. 4, 7, 27: janitor, i. e. Anubis, Stat. S. 3, 2, 112.—
2. That produces sleepiness or forgetfulness, Lethean: Lethaeo perfusa papavera somno, Verg. G. 1, 78: ros, id. A. 5, 854: papavera, id. G. 4, 545: sucus, Ov. M. 7, 152: amor, faithless love, id. R. Am. 551: nox, id. A. A. 3, 648.

Origins

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Λήθη (Lḗthē).

Quick answers

What does Lēthē mean in Latin?
Lēthē, a proper noun, means “the river Lethe, the river of oblivion”.
What is the genitive of Lēthē?
The genitive singular is Lēthēs. Lēthē is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce Lēthē?
In classical Latin, [ˈɫeː.tʰeː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈlɛː.te].