LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinesecond declension

porcus

porcus m (genitive porcī)
Classical[ˈpɔr.kʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈpɔr.kus]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. masculinea piglet, a young pig
  2. broadlymasculinea pig, hog
  3. abbreviationmasculineshort for porcus marīnus (“sea-hog, mereswine, porpoise”)
  4. derogatorymasculineglutton, pig
  5. masculinefemale genitalia

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

animal quod multum edit; carō eius bona est.
porcus -ī m — in Mille Verba, Animālia

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Sus · Verres · Scrofa · Porcus

Sus (ὗς, σῦς,) is the most general name for swine, and that which is used by natural historians, like ὗς; verres, scrofa, porcus, are economical names; verres (from ἔρσης), a boar-pig; scrofa (γρομφάς), a sow kept for breeding; porcus (πόρκος), a young pig, like χοῖρος. With sus is associated the accessory notion of filthiness; with porcus, that of fatness. (v. 335.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeporcusporcī
genitiveporcīporcōrum
dativeporcōporcīs
accusativeporcumporcōs
ablativeporcōporcīs
vocativeporceporcī

porcus, i, m. cf. Gr. πόρκος, Varr. L. L. 5, § 97 Müll.; Umbr. purka, O. H. Germ. farah.
I. Lit., a tame swine, a hog, pig: sunt domi agni, et porci sacres, Plaut. Rud. 4, 6, 4: villa abundat porco, haedo, agno, gallinā, etc., Cic. Sen. 16, 56; Mart. 8, 22, 1: Scrofa alat suos porcos, her pigs, Varr. R. R. 2, 4, 13: porcus femina, a female swine, sow, Cato, R. R. 134; Cic. Leg. 2, 22, 57.—Of a glutton, as a term of reproach, hog, Hor. Ep. 1, 4, 16; Cat. 39, 11.—
II. Transf.
A. Porcus marinus, the sea-hog, porpoise, Plin. 32, 5, 19, § 56; also called simply porcus, id. 32, 2, 9, § 19.—
B. = pudendum muliebre, Varr. R. R. 2, 4, 10.—
C. Caput porci, in milit. lang., a wedge-shaped order of battle, Amm. 17, 13; cf. porcinus, II.

Origins

From Proto-Italic *porkos, from Proto-Indo-European *pórḱos (“young pig”). Cognate with Old English fearh (“piglet”). More at farrow. Compare also Ancient Greek πόρκος (pórkos).

Insular Romance
  • Sardinianporcu
  • Sardinianpolcu
  • Sardinianprocu
Gallo-Romance
  • Catalanporc
  • Occitanpòrc
  • Old Frenchporc
Ibero-Romance
  • Portugueseporcofrom Old Galician-Portuguese porco
  • Spanishpuerco
  • Asturianpuercufrom unknown porco
  • Mirandesepuorcofrom unknown porco
  • Falaporcofrom Old Galician-Portuguese porco
  • Galicianporcofrom Old Galician-Portuguese porco
Balkan Romance
  • Romanianporc
  • Aromanianporcu
  • Aromanianporc
  • Istro-Romanianporc
  • Megleno-Romanianporc
  • Megleno-Romanianporcu
  • Megleno-Romanianpuorc
Italo-Romance
  • Italianporco
  • Gallureseporcufrom Corsican porcu
  • Sassareseporcufrom Corsican porcu
  • Dalmatianpuarc
  • Neapolitanpuorco
  • Sicilianporcu
Gallo-Italic
  • Emilianpôrz
  • Emilianpôrch
  • Emilianpōrc
  • Ligurianpòrco
  • Friulianporc
  • Friulianpurcit
  • Piedmontesepors
  • Piedmontesepeurc
  • Piedmonteseporcòt
  • Piedmonteseporchèt
Borrowings
  • Tunisian Arabicبَركُوس

In English words that came into English from porcus

  • porkporcus
  • porcupineporcus
  • porpoise*porcopiscis
  • porcineporcīnus
  • porcicultureporcus
  • porcophiliaporcus
  • porciformporcus

Quick answers

What does porcus mean in Latin?
porcus, a noun, means “a piglet, a young pig; a pig, hog; short for porcus marīnus (“sea-hog, mereswine, porpoise”)”.
What is the genitive of porcus?
The genitive singular is porcī. porcus is masculine, second declension.
How do you pronounce porcus?
In classical Latin, [ˈpɔr.kʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈpɔr.kus].
Which English words come from porcus?
English words that go back to Latin porcus include pork, porcupine, porciculture, porcophilia, porciform and porpoise.