LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

noctilūca1

noctilūca f (genitive noctilūcae)
Classical[nɔk.tɪˈɫuː.ka]Ecclesiastical[nok.tiˈluː.ka]

Meaning

  1. literallySomething which shines by night.
  2. The Moon.
    Luna, vel quod sola lucet noctu. Itaque ea dicta Noctiluca in Palatio: nam ibi noctu lucet templum.1st c. BCE, Marcus Terentius Varro, De lingua Latina Liber VX.11 (http://www.intratext.com/IXT/LAT0231/_P5.HTM)
    rite Latonae puerum canentes, rite crescentem face Noctilucam, prosperam frugum celeremque pronos23 BCE – 13 BCE, Horatius, Carmina 4.6.37–40
  3. countableA candle, a lamp, a lantern

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativenoctilūcanoctilūcae
genitivenoctilūcaenoctilūcārum
dativenoctilūcaenoctilūcīs
accusativenoctilūcamnoctilūcās
ablativenoctilūcānoctilūcīs
vocativenoctilūcanoctilūcae

noctĭlūca, ae, f. nox-luceo,
I. that shines by night; hence,
I. The moon: Luna quod sola lucet noctu: itaque ea dicta noctiluca in Palatio; nam ibi noctu lucet templum, Varr. L. L. 5, § 68 Müll.: canentes Rite crescentem face noctilucam, Hor. C. 4, 6, 38.— *
II. A lantern, Varr. ap. Non. 234, 4 (Sat. Men. 54, 5).—
III. Noctilucam (noctilugam) Lucilius cum dixit obscenum significat, Paul. ex Fest. p. 174 Müll. (Scalig. ad loc. understands, by noctiluca, avis mali ominis noctu lugens; Salmas. Exerc. Plin. p. 70, col. 2, d, reads noctipuga, acc. to a gloss: noctipugam obscenum quod quasi noctibus compungat); v. Müll. ad Fest. l. l.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*nókʷts
  2. Proto-Italic*nok⁽ʷ⁾ts
  3. Latinnoctilūca

Proto-Indo-European *lewk- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Indo-European *lowkéyeti Proto-Italic *loukeō Proto-Indo-European *lewk- Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti Proto-Indo-European *lukéh₁yeti Proto-Italic *l(o)ukēō? Latin luceō Latin noctilūca From nox (“night”) + luceō (“to shine”).

In English words that came into English from noctilūca

  • noctilucanoctilūca
  • noctilucinenoctilūca
proper noun · femininefirst declension
Noctilūca2
Noctilūca f sg (genitive Noctilūcae)
Classical[nɔk.tɪˈɫuː.ka]Ecclesiastical[nok.tiˈluː.ka]

Meaning

  1. RomanLuna (deity of the Moon)
    For quotations using this term, see Citations:Noctiluca.

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeNoctilūca—
genitiveNoctilūcae—
dativeNoctilūcae—
accusativeNoctilūcam—
ablativeNoctilūcā—
vocativeNoctilūca—

Origins

From Latin noctilūca (“something which shines by night”).

Quick answers

What does noctilūca mean in Latin?
noctilūca, a noun, means “Something which shines by night.; The Moon.; A candle, a lamp, a lantern”.
What is the genitive of noctilūca?
The genitive singular is noctilūcae. noctilūca is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce noctilūca?
In classical Latin, [nɔk.tɪˈɫuː.ka]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [nok.tiˈluː.ka].
Where does noctilūca come from?
Proto-Indo-European *nókʷts → Proto-Italic *nok⁽ʷ⁾ts → Latin noctilūca.