LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

pelagus

pelagus n (genitive pelagī)
Classical[ˈpɛ.ɫa.ɡʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈpɛː.la.ɡus]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. neuterthe sea
    Ut pelagus tenuere rates nec iam amplius ulla occurrit tellus, maria undique et undique caelum, olli caeruleus supra caput adstitit imber,When the ships gained the deep and no longer any land is in sight, but sea on all sides and on all sides sky, then overhead loomed a black raincloud, bringing night and tempest, and the wave shuddered darkling.Publius Vergilius Maro (Vergil), Aeneis, liber VI. In: Virgil with an English translation by H. Rushton Fairclough, vol. I of two volumes, 1916, p. 444f.
    ecce, maris magna claudit nos obice pontus,Lo! ocean hems us in with mighty barrier of sea; even now earth fails our flight; shall we seek the main or Troy?Publius Vergilius Maro (Vergil), Aeneis, liber X. In: Virgil with an English translation by H. Rushton Fairclough, vol. II of two volumes, 1918, p. 196f.
  2. neuterrarethe plain, especially in the Aeneid

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

mare apertum et altum.
pelagus -ī n — in Mille Verba, Mare et Nāvēs

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Mare · Æquor · Pontus · Pelagus

1. Mare (from μύρω) denotes the sea, as a mass of water, in opp. to terra and aër, like ἅλς, θάλασσα; æquor, pelagus, and pontus, with reference to its dimensions; æquor and pelagus, with reference to its horizontal dimension, the surface of the sea, like πέλαγος, whence πελαγίζειν, to float on the sea; pontus (from πεσεῖν, πίτνειν,) with reference to its perpendicular dimension, the depth of the sea, like πόντος, whence ποντίζειν, to sink into the sea. Colum. viii. 17. Ut in solo piscinæ posita libella septem pedibus sublimius esset maris æquor. Ovid, Met. ii. 872. Mediique per æquora ponti fert prædam. 2. Æquor (from æquus) denotes the surface of the sea in a merely physical sense; whereas pelagus (from πλάξ) with the accessory notion of its great extent and immensity. (iv. 72.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativepelaguspelagē
genitivepelagīpelagōrum
dativepelagōpelagīs
accusativepelagus
pelagum		pelagē
ablativepelagōpelagīs
vocativepelaguspelagē

pĕlăgus, i (Gr. plur. pelagē, Lucr. 5, 35; 6, 619), n., = πέλαγος,
I. the sea (poet. and in post-Aug. prose for Lat. mare): fervit aestu pelagus, Pac. ap. Cic. de Or. 3, 39, 157: pelagus remis petere coeperunt, Auct. B. Hisp. 40: in pelago, Lucr. 4, 432: pelagus tenuere rates, the open sea, the main. Verg. A. 5, 8: pelago Danaūm insidias Praecipitare, id. ib. 2, 36: pelago dare vela patenti, id. G. 2, 41; 1, 142: qui fragilem truci Commisit pelago ratem, Hor. C. 1, 3, 11: pelago terrāque pericula passus, Ov. Tr. 3, 2, 7: lustrare pelagus, Val. Fl. 3, 608; Plin. 9, 10, 12, § 35; Juv. 1, 135; 12, 17: saeviente pelago, Tac. A. 15, 46: vortices pelagi, Just. 4, 1, 13: nantes lubrico pelagi, Val. Max. 3, 2, 10: pelagus Ciliciae, Vulg. Act. 27, 5.— Poet., a mass of water, like the sea: pelago premit arva sonanti, Verg. A. 1, 246.—
II. Fig., for an immense mass or extent: quam pauca excepta verba ex pelago sermonis pulli minus trita afferant, the ocean of vulgar language, Varr. L. L. 9, 26, § 33: Herodiani scriptorum pelagus, Prisc. Ep. ad Jul. 4; cf. a sea of troubles, Shaksp.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*pleth₂-?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*pel-?
  3. Proto-Indo-European*pleh₂-der.?
  4. Latinpelagus

Ancient Greek πέλαγος (pélagos)bor. Latin pelagus Borrowed from Ancient Greek πέλαγος (pélagos).

Elsewhere
  • Catalanpèlag
  • Catalanpèlec
  • Italianpelagofrom Old Italian pèlago
  • Italianarcipelagofrom Old Italian pèlago
  • Portuguesepegofrom Old Galician-Portuguese peego
  • Portuguesepélagofrom Old Galician-Portuguese peego
  • Spanishpiélagofrom Old Spanish piélago
  • Asturianpiélagu
  • Asturianpielgu
  • Galluresepègulu
Sardinian
  • Logudoresepelagu

Quick answers

What does pelagus mean in Latin?
pelagus, a noun, means “the sea; the plain, especially in the Aeneid”.
What is the genitive of pelagus?
The genitive singular is pelagī. pelagus is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce pelagus?
In classical Latin, [ˈpɛ.ɫa.ɡʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈpɛː.la.ɡus].
Where does pelagus come from?
Proto-Indo-European *pleth₂-? → Proto-Indo-European *pel-? → Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂-der.? → Latin pelagus.