noun · femininefirst declension
nēnia
nēnia f (genitive nēniae)
Classical[ˈneː.ni.a]Ecclesiastical[ˈnɛː.ni.a]
Meaning
- a funeral song, dirge
- a spell, incantation, enchantment
- a song of little consequence, ditty, tune, lullaby
- in pluraltalk of little consequence, trifles, nonsense
POĒTA / Ioculāre tibi vidētur et sānē levī, / Dum nihil habēmus maius, calamō lūdimus, / Sed dīligenter intuēre hās nēniās / Quantam sub titulīs ūtilitātem reperiēs!
Poet. / It may seem to you that it's just jests and trifles when I don't have anything better to do and play with the pen: but look at these trifles diligently; you will find so much usefulness under this pretext!1st c. AD, Phaedrus, Poeta - Late LatinMedieval Latina complaint, criticism
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | nēnia | nēniae naeniae |
| genitive | nēniae naeniae | nēniārum naeniārum |
| dative | nēniae naeniae | nēniīs naeniīs |
| accusative | nēniam naeniam | nēniās naeniās |
| ablative | nēniā | nēniīs naeniīs |
| vocative | nēnia | nēniae naeniae |
nēnĭa (naenĭa), ae (abl. neniā, dissyl., Ov. F. 6, 142), f.,
I. a funeral song, song of lamentation, dirge: naenia est carmen quod in funere laudandi gratiā cantatur ad tibiam, Paul. ex Fest. p. 161 Müll.; cf. Macr. Somn. Scip. 2, 3; Diom. p. 482 P.:
honoratorum virorum laudes cantu ad tibicinem prosequantur, cui nomen nenia, Cic. Leg. 2, 24, 62: absint inani funere neniae, Hor. C. 2, 20, 21; Suet. Aug. 100.—II. Transf.
1. A mournful song or ditty of any kind:
Ceae retractes munera neniae, Hor. C. 2, 1, 38: huic homini amanti mea era dixit neniam de bonis, has sung the death-dirge over his property, i. e. has buried, has consumed it, Plaut. Truc. 2, 1, 3.—Prov.: nenia ludo id fuit, my joy was turned to grief, Plaut. Ps. 5, 1, 32.—2. A magic song, incantation:
Marsa, Hor. Epod. 17, 29.—3. A common, trifling song, popular song; a nursery song, lullaby; a song in gen.:
puerorum Nenia, quae regnum recte facientibus offert, Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 62: dicetur meritā Nox quoque neniā, id. C. 3, 28, 16: legesne potius viles nenias? mere songs, Phaedr. 3 prol. 10: lenes neniae, lullabies, Arn. 7, 237: histrionis, id. 6, 197.—4. Nenia soricina, the cry of the shrewmouse when caught and pierced through, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 8, 48.—
5. Personified: Nēnia, the goddess of funeral songs, the dirge-goddess, to whom a chapel was dedicated before the Viminal gate, Arn. 4, 131; Aug. Civ. Dei, 6, 9.
Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
nēnia (naenia) ae, f
a funeral song, song of lament, dirge, C.: absint inani funere neniae, H.— A mournful song, sorrowful ditty: Ceae retractes munera neniae, H.—A magic song, incantation: Marsa, H.—A popular song, cradle song, lullaby: puerorum, H.: legesne potius viles nenias? mere songs, Ph.
Origins
Perhaps from Ancient Greek νηνία (nēnía).
Descendants
- Englishnenia
- Frenchnénie
- GermanNänie
- Italiannenia
- Portuguesenénia
- Portuguesenênia
- Romaniannenie
- Spanishnenia
In English words that came into English from nēnia
- nenianēnia