LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinefirst declension

scrība

scrība m (genitive scrībae)
Classical[ˈskriː.ba]Ecclesiastical[ˈskriː.ba]

Meaning

  1. writer, scribe, secretary, clerk

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativescrībascrībae
genitivescrībaescrībārum
dativescrībaescrībīs
accusativescrībamscrībās
ablativescrībāscrībīs
vocativescrībascrībae

scrība, ae, m. scribo,
I. a public or official writer, a clerk, secretary, scribe (whereas librarius or scriba librarius denotes a private secretary or amanuensis; notarius, a short-hand writer): scribas proprio nomine antiqui et librarios et poëtas vocabant. At nunc dicuntur scribae quidem librarii, qui rationes publicas scribunt in tabulis, etc., Fest. p. 333 Müll.: (scribarum) ordo est honestus, quod eorum hominum fidei tabellae publicae periculaque magistratuum committuntur, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 79, § 183; cf. id. ib. 2, 3, 78, § 182; 2, 3, 80, § 184 sq.; 2, 3, 80, § 187; id. Pis. 25, 61; id. Clu. 45, 126; id. Agr. 2, 13, 32 (distinguished from librarii): meus, id. Fam. 5, 20, 2; Liv. 2, 12; 22, 57; 40, 29; Suet. Claud. 1; 38; id. Vesp. 3; Hor. S. 1, 5, 35; 2, 5, 56; id. Ep. 1, 8, 2 et saep.; cf. also: SCRIBA AB EPISTOLIS LATINIS, Inscr. Orell. 41; 2437; and: SCRIBA LIBRARIVS, ib. 1621; 2950 al.—
2. (Eccl. Lat.) A doctor of the Jewish law, one whose duty it was to guard and expound the sacred text, Vulg. 2 Reg. 8, 17; id. Matt. 23, 2 et saep.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*(s)ker-?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*(s)kreybʰ-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*(s)kréybʰeti
  4. Proto-Italic*skreiβō
  5. Latinscrība

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂ Proto-Italic *-ā Latin -a Latin scrība From scrībō + -a (agent noun).

Descendants
  • Catalanescrivà
  • Catalanescriba
  • Italianscrivano
  • Italianscriba
  • Occitanescribe
  • Frenchécrivainfrom Old French escrivain
  • Englishscribefrom Old French scribe
  • Frenchscribefrom Old French scribe
  • Romanianscribfrom Old French scribe
  • Occitanescrivanfrom Old Occitan escrivan

In English words that came into English from scrība

  • scrivener*scriba

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

AntiquitiesScribaScriba a title given to the clerks, or rather secretaries, who formed the highest class of the officials attached to a Roman magistrate. The scriba wa…

Quick answers

What does scrība mean in Latin?
scrība, a noun, means “writer, scribe, secretary, clerk”.
What is the genitive of scrība?
The genitive singular is scrībae. scrība is masculine, first declension.
How do you pronounce scrība?
In classical Latin, [ˈskriː.ba]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈskriː.ba].
Where does scrība come from?
Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker-? → Proto-Indo-European *(s)kreybʰ- → Proto-Indo-European *(s)kréybʰeti → Proto-Italic *skreiβō → Latin scrība.