LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

puerperium

puerperium n (genitive puerperiī or puerperī)
Classical[pu.ɛrˈpɛ.ri.ũː]Ecclesiastical[pu.erˈpɛː.ri.um]

Meaning

  1. neuterchildbirth, delivery, childbed, confinement, lying-in
    puerperiō cubārec. 69 CE – 122 CE, Suetonius, Calig. 8
    77 CE – 79 CE, Plinius Maior, Naturalis Historia
  2. neuternewborn child, infant
    c. 117 CE, Tacitus, Annales 12.6
    c. 45 CE – 96 CE, Statius, Thebais 4.280

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativepuerperiumpuerperia
genitivepuerperiī
puerperī		puerperiōrum
dativepuerperiōpuerperiīs
accusativepuerperiumpuerperia
ablativepuerperiōpuerperiīs
vocativepuerperiumpuerperia

pŭerpĕrĭum, ii, n. puerpera.
I. Childbirth, childbed, a lying-in, confinement, delivery, Suet. Calig. 8: puerperio cubare, to be in childbed, Plaut. Truc. 2, 5, 22: locus puerperio Antium fuit, Tac. A. 15, 23; Plin. 9, 25, 41, § 79; 28, 8, 29, § 114: numerus puerperii, the number of children born together, Gell. 12, 1, 4: tellus velut aeterno quodam puerperio laeta, Col. 3, 21, 3.—
II. A new-born child, an infant; children, Varr. R. R. 2, 26; Tac. A. 12, 6; Plin. 7, 11, 9, § 48; id. 18, 29, 69, § 282; Stat. Th. 4, 280; Gell. 10, 2, 2.

Origins

Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -iusnom. Latin -ium Latin puerperium From puerpera (“woman in labor or childbed”) + -ium (nominal suffix).

Descendants
  • Englishpuerperium

In English words that came into English from puerperium

  • puerperiumpuerperium

Quick answers

What does puerperium mean in Latin?
puerperium, a noun, means “childbirth, delivery, childbed, confinement, lying-in; newborn child, infant”.
What is the genitive of puerperium?
The genitive singular is puerperiī. puerperium is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce puerperium?
In classical Latin, [pu.ɛrˈpɛ.ri.ũː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [pu.erˈpɛː.ri.um].