LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

puerpera

puerpera f (genitive puerperae)
Classical[puˈɛr.pɛ.ra]Ecclesiastical[puˈɛr.pe.ra]

Meaning

  1. femininewoman in labor or in childbed, lying-in woman
    c. 190 BCE – 185 BCE, Plautus, Amphitruo 5.1.40
    c. 30 BCE, Horatius, Epodi 17.52

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativepuerperapuerperae
genitivepuerperaepuerperārum
dativepuerperaepuerperīs
accusativepuerperampuerperās
ablativepuerperāpuerperīs
vocativepuerperapuerperae

Origins

Substantive of puerperus (“parturient, bringing forth children”), from puer (“boy, child”) + pariō (“to bear, give birth”) + -us (adjectival suffix).

Descendants
  • Italianpuerpera
  • Portuguesepuérpera
  • Spanishpuérpera
  • Englishpuerpera
  • GermanPuerpera
  • Sicilianpuèrpira

In English words that came into English from puerpera

  • puerperapuerpera
  • puerperiumpuerperium
  • puerperalpuerperālis
  • puerperouspuerpera

Quick answers

What does puerpera mean in Latin?
puerpera, a noun, means “woman in labor or in childbed, lying-in woman”.
What is the genitive of puerpera?
The genitive singular is puerperae. puerpera is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce puerpera?
In classical Latin, [puˈɛr.pɛ.ra]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [puˈɛr.pe.ra].
Which English words come from puerpera?
English words that go back to Latin puerpera include puerpera, puerperous, puerperium and puerperal.