LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininethird declension

mephītis

mephītis f (genitive mephītis)
Classical[mɛˈpʰiː.tɪs]Ecclesiastical[meˈfiː.tis]

Meaning

  1. mephitis (a poisonous or pestilential gas from the ground, e.g. from swamps or volcanoes)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativemephītismephītēs
genitivemephītismephītium
dativemephītīmephītibus
accusativemephītimmephītēs
mephītīs
ablativemephītīmephītibus
vocativemephītismephītēs

mĕphītis, is, f.,
I. a noxious, pestilential exhalation from the ground, mephitis.
I. Lit.: saevamque exhalat opaca mephitim, Verg. A. 7, 84: sulphureae, Pers. 3, 99.—
II. Personified: Mĕphītis (Mĕfi-tis), is, f., a goddess who averts pestilential exhalations, Tac. H. 3, 34; Plin. 2, 93, 95, § 208; Inscr. Orell. 1795; cf. Serv. Verg. A. 7, 84: lucus Mephitis, Varr. L. L. 5, 7, § 49 Müll.: aedes, Paul. ex Fest. 351, 3.

Origins

From Mephītis, the name of a Samnite goddess who personified or averted the poisonous gases emitted from swamps and volcanoes. The name is from Oscan 𐌌𐌄𐌚𐌉𐌞 (mefiú) and ultimately Proto-Italic *meðjos (“middle”), as in "one who is in the middle," the sense being that Mephitis encompasses earthly ideas between the subterranean and terrestrial worlds.

Quick answers

What does mephītis mean in Latin?
mephītis, a noun, means “mephitis (a poisonous or pestilential gas from the ground, e.g. from swamps or volcanoes)”.
What is the genitive of mephītis?
The genitive singular is mephītis. mephītis is feminine, third declension.
How do you pronounce mephītis?
In classical Latin, [mɛˈpʰiː.tɪs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [meˈfiː.tis].