LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

noctua1

noctua f (genitive noctuae)
Classical[ˈnɔk.tu.a]Ecclesiastical[ˈnɔk.tu.a]

Meaning

  1. feminineowl (small)
    Near-synonyms: būbō, strix, ulula, parra

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

avis nocturna, trīstis cantū
noctua -ae (f) — in Aeneis, ch. 24

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativenoctuanoctuae
genitivenoctuaenoctuārum
dativenoctuaenoctuīs
accusativenoctuamnoctuās
ablativenoctuānoctuīs
vocativenoctuanoctuae

noctŭa, ae, f. nox,
I. a night-owl, an owl, a bird sacred to Minerva: noctua, quod noctu canit ac vigilat, Varr. L. L. 5, § 76 Müll.; Paul. ex Fest. pp. 174 and 175 ib.; Plaut. Men. 4, 2, 90: noctuarum dimicatio, Plin. 10, 17, 19, § 39: garrula, id. 18, 35, 87, § 362: seros exercet noctua cantūs, Verg. G. 1, 403.

Origins

From the feminine of an unattested adjective *noctūus, from noctū (“by night”) + -us.

Descendants
  • Catalanmussolfrom Vulgar Latin *noctuolus
  • Spanishlechuzafrom Old Spanish nechuza

In English words that came into English from noctua

  • noctulenoctula
  • noctuoidnoctua
proper noun · masculinefirst declension
Noctua2
Noctua m sg (genitive Noctuae)
Classical[ˈnɔk.tu.a]Ecclesiastical[ˈnɔk.tu.a]

Meaning

  1. masculinesingularA Roman cognomen — famously held by
  2. masculinesingularQuintus Caedicius Noctua, a Roman consul

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeNoctua—
genitiveNoctuae—
dativeNoctuae—
accusativeNoctuam—
ablativeNoctuā—
vocativeNoctua—

Noctŭa, ae, m.,
I. a Roman surname: Q. Caedicius Noctua, a consul with M. Valerius Corvinus A. U. C. 465.

Origins

From noctua (“owl”).

Quick answers

What does noctua mean in Latin?
noctua, a noun, means “owl (small)”.
What is the genitive of noctua?
The genitive singular is noctuae. noctua is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce noctua?
In classical Latin, [ˈnɔk.tu.a]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈnɔk.tu.a].