LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

scrōfa

scrōfa f (genitive scrōfae)
Classical[ˈskroː.fa]Ecclesiastical[ˈskrɔː.fa]

Meaning

  1. sow (female pig, especially one used for breeding)

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
nominativescrōfascrōfae
genitivescrōfaescrōfārum
dativescrōfaescrōfīs
accusativescrōfamscrōfās
ablativescrōfāscrōfīs
vocativescrōfascrōfae

scrōfa, ae, f. root skrabh-, v. scribo,
I. a breeding-sow, Varr. R. R. 2, 4, 4; Col. 7, 9, 2; 7, 11, 3; Pall. Febr. 26, 1; Juv. 6, 177; 12, 73.
Scrōfa, ae, m. 1. scrofa,
I. a Roman surname, taken from swine-breeding, Varr. R. R. 2, 4, 1 sq. (a less probable derivation is given by Macr. S. 1, 6 fin.); Cic. Att. 5, 4, 2; 6, 1, 13 al.

Origins

According to De Vaan, the term might reflect Proto-Indo-European *(s)krebʰ-, whence also scrobis. If this theory is accepted, then it would imply that this word is a non-Roman dialect form or borrowing that shows an unusual development of *-bʰ- > *-f-. A Roman form with -b- may have survived as a borrowing in German Schraube (Middle High German schrūbe). De Vaan suggests that the term could continue *skrobʰ-h₂, in which case the long -ō- would have to be a secondary development as result of the borrowing. Regarding the semantics, De Vaan suggests that the term originally meant "scratcher, digger," whence "sow." For a similar semantic development, compare porcus.

Descendants
  • Frenchécrou
  • Romanianscroafă
  • Italianscrofa
  • Occitanescrova
  • Portugueseescrófula
  • Friulianscrove
  • Venetanscroa
  • Galicianescrófula
  • Sicilianscrofa

Quick answers

What does scrōfa mean in Latin?
scrōfa, a noun, means “sow (female pig, especially one used for breeding)”.
What is the genitive of scrōfa?
The genitive singular is scrōfae. scrōfa is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce scrōfa?
In classical Latin, [ˈskroː.fa]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈskrɔː.fa].