LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

orca1

orca f (genitive orcae)
Classical[ˈɔr.ka]Ecclesiastical[ˈɔr.ka]

Meaning

  1. feminineorc, orca (kind of whale)
  2. femininebutt, tun (large-bellied vessel)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeorca
orcula		orcae
orculae
genitiveorcae
orculae		orcārum
orculārum
dativeorcae
orculae		orcīs
orculīs
accusativeorcam
orculam		orcās
orculās
ablativeorcā
orculā		orcīs
orculīs
vocativeorca
orcula		orcae
orculae

orca, ae, f. cf. ὔρχα,
I. a kind of whale, an orc, Plin. 9, 6, 5, § 12.—
II. Transf.
A. A large-bellied vessel, a butt, tun (cf.: seria, dolium): orca genus marinae beluae maximum dicitur: ad cujus similitudinem vasa quoque ficaria orcae dicunter: sunt enim teretes, atque uniformi specie, Fest. p. 180 Müll.: orcae in Hispaniā fervore musti ruptae, Varr. R. R. 1, 13, 6; Col. 12, 15, 2: Byzantia orca (which had contained pickled tunny-fish), Hor. S. 2, 4, 66; cf. Pers. 3, 76.—
B. A tunnel used for throwing dice, a dice-box: angusta, Pers. 3, 50: interim dum contemplor orcam, taxillos perdidi, Pompon. ap. Prisc. p. 615 P. (Com. Rel. p. 214 Rib.).

Origins

Either borrowed from Ancient Greek ὕρχη (húrkhē, “earthen fish-salting vessel”), or else both borrowed separately from a substrate Mediterranean language. The sense of whale is likely influenced by ὄρυξ (órux, “pickaxe; oryx; narwhal”); it is possible that both ὕρχη (húrkhē) and ὄρυξ (órux) were conflated when borrowed into Latin.

Elsewhere
  • Catalanorca
  • Italianorca
  • Frenchorquefrom Middle French orque
  • Englishorcfrom Middle French orque
  • Portugueseorca
  • Romanianorca
  • Spanishorca
  • Englishorca
  • GermanOrca
  • Galicianorca
Serbo-Croatian
  • Cyrillic scriptорца
  • Latin scriptorka
proper noun · masculinefirst declension
Orca2
Orca m sg (genitive Orcae)
Classical[ˈɔr.ka]Ecclesiastical[ˈɔr.ka]

Meaning

  1. masculinesingularA Roman cognomen — famously held by
  2. masculinesingularQuintus Valerius Orca, a Roman praetor

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeOrca—
genitiveOrcae—
dativeOrcae—
accusativeOrcam—
ablativeOrcā—
vocativeOrca—

Orca, ae, m.,
I. a Roman surname, e. g. Valerius Orca, Cic. Fam. 13, 4 sq.

Origins

From orca (“tun; killer whale”).

Quick answers

What does orca mean in Latin?
orca, a noun, means “orc, orca (kind of whale); butt, tun (large-bellied vessel)”.
What is the genitive of orca?
The genitive singular is orcae. orca is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce orca?
In classical Latin, [ˈɔr.ka]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈɔr.ka].