LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinesecond declension

scarabaeus

scarabaeus m (genitive scarabaeī)
Classical[ska.raˈbae̯.ʊs]Ecclesiastical[ska.raˈbɛː.us]

Meaning

  1. masculineA scarab, black dung beetle, revered in Ancient Egypt.
  2. masculineA beetle

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativescarabaeusscarabaeī
genitivescarabaeīscarabaeōrum
dativescarabaeōscarabaeīs
accusativescarabaeumscarabaeōs
ablativescarabaeōscarabaeīs
vocativescarabaeescarabaeī

scărăbaeus, i, m., = σκαράβειος σκάραβος),
I. a beetle, scarab, scarabee, Plin. 11, 28, 34, § 97; 30, 11, 30, § 99; Aus. Epigr. 70, 10.

Origins

Unknown, perhaps a foreign word, or with movable s- connected to the large family of words for shrimps, crayfish, scorpions and crabs beginning with /kaɾ/ mentioned at Persian خرچنگ (xarčang, “crab”), in which case borrowed from Ancient Greek κάραβος (kárabos, “beetle; crayfish”).

Descendants
  • Catalanescarabatfrom Vulgar Latin *scarafaius
  • Italianscarafaggiofrom Vulgar Latin *scarafaius
  • Portugueseescaravelhofrom Vulgar Latin *scarafaius
  • Spanishescarabajofrom Vulgar Latin *scarafaius
  • Catalanescarabeu
  • Frenchescarbotfrom Old French escharbot
  • Frenchscarabéefrom Middle French scarabée
  • Englishscarabfrom Middle French scarabée
  • GermanSkarabäus
  • Italianscarabeo

Quick answers

What does scarabaeus mean in Latin?
scarabaeus, a noun, means “A scarab, black dung beetle, revered in Ancient Egypt.; A beetle”.
What is the genitive of scarabaeus?
The genitive singular is scarabaeī. scarabaeus is masculine, second declension.
How do you pronounce scarabaeus?
In classical Latin, [ska.raˈbae̯.ʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ska.raˈbɛː.us].