LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

nympha

nympha f (genitive nymphae)
Classical[ˈnym.pʰa]Ecclesiastical[ˈnim.fa]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. femininebride, mistress
  2. feminineyoung woman
  3. Greekfemininenymph (mythical demigoddess)
    Suscipit, o Gelli, quantum non ultima Tethys nec genitor nympharum abluit OceanusHe undertakes, O Gellius, so much as neither furthest Tethys nor Oceanus, father of nymphs, can cleansec. 84 BCE – 54 BCE, Catullus, Carmina 88
  4. femininepupa or nymph of an insect

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

dea parva fontium, silvārum, montium; iuvenis et pulchra.
nympha -ae f — in Mille Verba, Deī et Sacra

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativenymphanymphae
genitivenymphae
nymphēs		nymphārum
dativenymphaenymphīs
accusativenympham
nymphēn		nymphās
ablativenymphānymphīs
vocativenymphanymphae

nympha, ae, and nymphē, ēs (
I. dat. plur. NYMPHABVS, Inscr. Orell. 1629; NYMFABVS, ib. 1630; NYMPHIS, ib. 1627; 1630 sq.), f., = νύμφη.
I. A bride, a mistress, Ov. H. 1, 27; Tib. 3, 1, 21 (al. merita).—
2. A young woman: se quoque nympha tuis ornavit Iardanis armis, Ov. H. 9, 103.—
II. Nymphae, demi-goddesses, who inhabit the sea, rivers, fountains, woods, trees, and mountains; nymphs: Nymphae, genus amnibus unde est, Verg. A. 8, 71; 10, 551; Ov. M. 5, 540: Nympha Maenalis, i. e. Carmenta, the mother of Evander, id. F. 1, 634: Nymphae Libethrides, the Muses, Verg. E. 7, 21: vocalis Nymphe, Echo, Ov. M. 3, 357. Vows were made to the fountain-nymphs in cases of sickness or of drought, Cic. N. D. 3, 17, 43; Inscr. Orell. 1631 sq.—
B. Transf., water (poet.): et cadit in patulos Nympha Aniena lacus, Prop. 3, 16 (4, 15), 4.—
2. A fountain, Mart. 6, 43, 2.—
C. The pupa or nymph of an insect: alius evolat, alius in nymphā est, alius in vermiculo, Plin. 11, 21, 24, § 71; 11, 16, 16, § 48.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*snewbʰ-
  2. Latinnympha

Ancient Greek νύμφη (númphē)der. Latin nympha Derived from Ancient Greek νύμφη (númphē, “bride, nymph”). Compare with Latin lympha.

Descendants
  • Catalannimfa
  • Frenchnymphefrom Old French nimphe
  • Englishnymphfrom Old French nimphe
  • Italianninfa
  • Portugueseninfa
  • Romaniannimfă
  • Spanishninfa
  • Asturianninfa
  • Dutchnimffrom Old French nimphe
  • Sicilianninfa

Quick answers

What does nympha mean in Latin?
nympha, a noun, means “bride, mistress; young woman; nymph (mythical demigoddess)”.
What is the genitive of nympha?
The genitive singular is nymphae. nympha is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce nympha?
In classical Latin, [ˈnym.pʰa]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈnim.fa].
Where does nympha come from?
Proto-Indo-European *snewbʰ- → Latin nympha.