proper noun · femininefirst declension
Sēquana
Sēquana f sg or m sg (genitive Sēquanae)
Classical[ˈseː.kʷa.na]Ecclesiastical[ˈsɛː.kʷa.na]
Meaning
- The Seine (a major river in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Grand Est, Île-de-France and Normandy regions, France)
Gallōs ab Aquītānīs Garumna flūmen, ā Belgīs Mātrona et Sēquana dīvidit.
The river Garonne separates the Gauls from the Aquitani; the Marne and the Seine separate them from the Belgians.c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de bello Gallico 1
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | Sēquana | — |
| genitive | Sēquanae | — |
| dative | Sēquanae | — |
| accusative | Sēquanam | — |
| ablative | Sēquanā | — |
| vocative | Sēquana | — |
Sēquăna, ae, f.,
I. one of the principal rivers of Gallia Celtica, the Seine, Caes. B. G. 1, 1; 7, 57; 7, 58; Mel. 3, 2, 4; masc., Plin. 4, 17, 31, § 105.—Hence,
1. Sēquă-ni, ōrum, m., the dwellers on the Sequana, Caes. B. G. 1, 1; 1, 2; 1, 9; 1, 10; 1, 31; 1, 35; 1, 44; 4, 10; 6, 12; 7, 66; Cic. Att. 1, 19, 2.—
2. Sēquănus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to the Sequani:
gens, Luc. 1, 425: ager, Plin. 14, 1, 3, § 18.—Origins
Of Celtic origin, the river name is from Gaulish Sequana, a water goddess later incorporated into Gallo-Roman culture. The name's origin is uncertain, but possibly from Proto-Indo-European *seykʷ- (“to pour, spill, trickle”). However, since Gaulish was largely a P-Celtic language, the q may not represent Indo-European -kʷ- but rather an original form like *Sek-ooana-. Therefore, the Gaulish name could be from a pre-Celtic hydronym.
Descendants
- FrenchSeinefrom Late Latin Sēcona
- Old EnglishSīgenfrom Late Latin Sēcona
- Old SaxonSīganafrom Late Latin Sēcona
- Old High GermanSīgonafrom Late Latin Sēcona
- Old High GermanSīganafrom Late Latin Sēcona
- SicilianSigonafrom Late Latin Sēcona