LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinethird declension

paeān

paeān m (genitive paeānis)
Classical[ˈpae̯.aːn]Ecclesiastical[ˈpɛː.an]

Meaning

  1. historicalHymn to Apollo.
  2. broadlyHymn or song of victory or praise.

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativepaeānpaeānēs
genitivepaeānispaeānum
dativepaeānīpaeānibus
accusativepaeānempaeānēs
ablativepaeānepaeānibus
vocativepaeānpaeānēs

Paean, ānis, m., = Παιάν.
I. An appellation of Apollo, as the healing deity: signum Paeanis, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 57, § 127: Paeana voca, Ov. M. 14, 720; Juv. 6, 172; cf. Fest. p. 222 Müll.; Macr. S. 1, 17.—
II. Transf.
A. A religious hymn, orig. in honor of Apollo, but also transf. to other deities, a festive hymn, hymn of triumph or praise, a pœan: conclamant socii laetum paeana secuti, Verg. A. 10, 738; id. ib. 6, 657: Herculeum paeana canunt, Stat. Th. 4, 157: paeanem citare, Cic. de Or. 1, 59, 251.—As a simple exclamation, like hymenaee: dicite io Paean, et io bis dicite Paean, shout huzza! Ov. A. A. 2, 1.—
B. The prevailing foot in the versification of such hymns, consisting of one long syllable and three short ones, Cic. Or. 64, 215 and 218 (commonly written paeon, q. v.).

Origins

From Ancient Greek παιᾱ́ν (paiā́n, “chant, song of praise”).

Descendants
  • Englishpaean
  • Italianpeana
  • Frenchpéanfrom Middle French pæan
  • Portuguesepeã
  • Romanianpean
  • Spanishpeán
  • Polishpean

In English words that came into English from paeān

  • paeanpaeān

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

AntiquitiesPaeanPaean strictly a hymn relating to relief from plagues and sickness, but extended also so as to refer to safety from danger of any kind. No doubt it wa…

Quick answers

What does paeān mean in Latin?
paeān, a noun, means “Hymn to Apollo.; Hymn or song of victory or praise.”.
What is the genitive of paeān?
The genitive singular is paeānis. paeān is masculine, third declension.
How do you pronounce paeān?
In classical Latin, [ˈpae̯.aːn]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈpɛː.an].