LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinefirst declension

lixa1

lixa m (genitive lixae)
Classical[ˈlɪk.sa]Ecclesiastical[ˈlik.sa]

Meaning

  1. masculinewater
  2. masculinelye
    Lixarum proprietas haec est, quod officium sustineant militibus aquae vehendae; lixam namque aquam veteres vocaverunt; unde elixum dicimus aqua coctum. Lix[a] etiam cinis dicitur vel umor cineri mixtus; nam etiamnunc id genus lexivum vocatur. Varro de Vita Populi Romani lib. I: 'proinde ut elixum panem ex farre et aqua frigida fingebant'.The particular quality of lixae is this, to bear the duty of carrying water for the soldiers, for the ancients called water "lixa"; whence we say "elixus", meaning cooked with water. Ash or liquid mixed with ash is also called "lix[a]"; for even now that type is called lexivus. Varro de Vita Populi Romani Book I: "therefore they made soaked/boiled bread from emmer and cold water"c. 280 CE, Nonius Marcellus, De compendiosa doctrina 82

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativelixalixae
genitivelixaelixārum
dativelixaelixīs
accusativelixamlixās
ablativelixālixīs
vocativelixalixae

lixa, ae, m. perh. linquo,
I. a sutler: non lixa sequebatur, Liv. 39, 1: lixae modo sine insignibus, sine lictoribus, profectum, id. 21, 63: lixarum in modum negotiari, id. 5, 8: lixae ac negotiatores, Tac. A. 2, 62.—
II. Transf.
A. In plur.: lixae, camp-followers, consisting of sutlers, cooks, servants, etc.: lixas e castris submovit, Val. Max. 2, 7, 2: lixae permixti cum militibus, Sall. J. 44: ne lixae exercitum sequerentur, id. ib. 45: agmini totidem lixas habenti quot milites, Quint. 8, 6, 42; Justin. 38, 10, 2.—
B. An attendant on a magistrate, App. M. 1, p. 113, 22.

Origins

Probably the feminine of an adjective *lixus (“fluid”), from Proto-Italic *liksos, cognate to ēlixus, prōlixus, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wleykʷ- (“fluid, wet”) and so cognate to liqueō.

In English words that came into English from lixa

  • lixiviatelixivio
  • lixiviumlixivium
  • lixiviallixivius
noun · masculinefirst declension
lixa2
lixa m (genitive lixae)

Meaning

  1. masculinesutler, camp follower, attendant

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativelixalixae
genitivelixaelixārum
dativelixaelixīs
accusativelixamlixās
ablativelixālixīs
vocativelixalixae

Origins

Unknown. Maybe related to linquō; otherwise potentially a substrate or foreign word.

Quick answers

What does lixa mean in Latin?
lixa, a noun, means “water; lye”.
What is the genitive of lixa?
The genitive singular is lixae. lixa is masculine, first declension.
How do you pronounce lixa?
In classical Latin, [ˈlɪk.sa]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈlik.sa].
Which English words come from lixa?
English words that go back to Latin lixa include lixiviate, lixivium and lixivial.