LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
proper noun · femininefirst declension

Philomēla1

Philomēla f sg (genitive Philomēlae)
Classical[pʰɪ.ɫɔˈmeː.ɫa]Ecclesiastical[fi.loˈmɛː.la]

Meaning

  1. GreekPhilomela (the sister of Procne who is raped and mutilated by her brother-in-law Tereus and supposedly transformed into a bird by the gods)
  2. a female given name from Ancient Greek

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativePhilomēla—
genitivePhilomēlae—
dativePhilomēlae—
accusativePhilomēlam—
ablativePhilomēlā—
vocativePhilomēla—

Phĭlŏmēla, ae, f., = Φιλομήλη.
I. Lit., daughter of Pandion, king of Athens, and sister of Progne; she was violated by her brother-in-law, Tereus, and was changed into a nightingale: respondeo, Natas ex Philomelā atque ex Progne esse hirundines, Plaut. Rud. 3, 1, 12; Hyg. Fab. 45; Ov. M. 6, 424 sq.; Verg. E. 6, 79 Serv.; Mart. 14, 75, 1.—
II. Transf., the nightingale (poet.), Verg. G. 4, 511.—
B. The swallow: mortalium penatibus fiducialis nidos philomela suspendit, Cassiod. Var. 8, 31.—
C. The name of a play, Juv. 7, 92.

Origins

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Φιλομήλη (Philomḗlē), from φίλος (phílos, “love”) + μῆλον (mêlon, “apple; fruit; sheep”), but folk-etymologized since at least Ovid's time as "lover of song".

Descendants
  • EnglishPhilomela
  • EnglishPhilomelfrom Middle French Philomele
  • FrenchPhilomèlefrom Middle French Philomele
proper noun · femininefirst declension
philomēla2
philomēla f (genitive philomēlae)
Classical[pʰɪ.ɫɔˈmeː.ɫa]Ecclesiastical[fi.loˈmɛː.la]

Meaning

  1. literaryThe swallow.
  2. literaryThe nightingale.

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativephilomēlaphilomēlae
genitivephilomēlaephilomēlārum
dativephilomēlaephilomēlīs
accusativephilomēlamphilomēlās
ablativephilomēlāphilomēlīs
vocativephilomēlaphilomēlae

Origins

Figurative usage of Philomēla, from Ancient Greek Φιλομήλη (Philomḗlē), from φίλος (phílos, “love”) + μῆλον (mêlon, “apple; fruit; sheep”), but folk-etymologized since at least Ovid's time as "lover of song".

Quick answers

What does Philomēla mean in Latin?
Philomēla, a proper noun, means “Philomela (the sister of Procne who is raped and mutilated by her brother-in-law Tereus and supposedly transformed into a bird by the gods); a female given name from Ancient Greek”.
What is the genitive of Philomēla?
The genitive singular is Philomēlae. Philomēla is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce Philomēla?
In classical Latin, [pʰɪ.ɫɔˈmeː.ɫa]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [fi.loˈmɛː.la].