LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

merula1

merula f (genitive merulae)
Classical[ˈmɛ.rʊ.ɫa]Ecclesiastical[ˈmɛː.ru.la]

Meaning

  1. feminineblackbird
  2. femininewrasse

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativemerulamerulae
genitivemerulaemerulārum
dativemerulaemerulīs
accusativemerulammerulās
ablativemerulāmerulīs
vocativemerulamerulae

mĕrŭla, ae, f. (post-class. collat. form mĕrŭlus, i, m., Auct. Carm. Philom. 13),
I. a blackbird, ousel, merle.
I. Lit.: evolare merulas, Cic. Fin. 5, 15, 42: ut merula, quia sola volat, quasi mera volans nominaretur, Quint. 1, 6, 38; cf. Plin. 10, 29, 42, § 80; 10, 30, 45, § 87; 10, 53, 74, § 147.—
II. Transf.
A. A fish, the sea-carp: merulae virentes, Ov. Hal. 114; cf. Plin. 32, 11, 53, § 149.—
B. A kind of hydraulic machine that produced a sound like the note of the blackbird, Vitr. 10, 12.

Origins

Perhaps from Proto-Italic *meselā, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ems- (“black, blackbird”), which is thought to be a northwestern European substrate borrowing. Cognate with Breton moualch (“ouzel”), Welsh mwyalch (“blackbird, thrush”), German Amsel, English ouzel.

Descendants
  • Catalanmerla
  • Frenchmerle
  • Italianmerlo
  • Italianmerla
  • Occitanmèrle
  • Occitanmèrla
  • Portuguesemelro
  • Romanianmierlă
  • Sardinianmérula
  • Sardinianmeurra
proper noun · masculinefirst declension
Merula2
Merula m sg (genitive Merulae)
Classical[ˈmɛ.rʊ.ɫa]Ecclesiastical[ˈmɛː.ru.la]

Meaning

  1. masculinesingularA Roman cognomen — famously held by
  2. masculinesingularLucius Cornelius Merula, a Roman consul

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeMerula—
genitiveMerulae—
dativeMerulae—
accusativeMerulam—
ablativeMerulā—
vocativeMerula—

Mĕrŭla, ae, m.,
I. a Roman surname, e. g.
A. Cn. Cornelius Merula, Liv. 33, 55.—
B. L. Cornelius Merula, flamen Dialis, Vel. 2, 20; Val. Max. 9, 12, 5; Tac. A. 3, 58, 2.
Mĕrŭla, ae, m.,
I. a river of Liguria, now Arosia, Plin. 3, 5, 7, § 48.

Origins

From merula (“blackbird”).

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

Biography & mythologyMerulaMerula. 3. L. Cornelius Merula, was flamen dialis, and, on the deposition of L. Cinna in B. C. 87, was elected consul in his place. [CORNELIUS CINNA, …GeographyMerulaMerula (Merula), a river of Liguria, mentioned only by Pliny (3.5. s. 7), who places it between Albium Intemelium (Vintimiglia) and Albium Ingaunum (A…

Quick answers

What does merula mean in Latin?
merula, a noun, means “blackbird; wrasse”.
What is the genitive of merula?
The genitive singular is merulae. merula is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce merula?
In classical Latin, [ˈmɛ.rʊ.ɫa]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈmɛː.ru.la].