LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininethird declension

Sīrēn

Sīrēn f (genitive Sīrēnis)
Classical[ˈsiː.reːn]Ecclesiastical[ˈsiː.ren]

Meaning

  1. Greeka siren, one of the mythical birds with faces of virgins, that dwelt on the southern coast of Italy, where, with their sweet voices, they enticed ashore those who were sailing by, and then killed them.
  2. drone in a hive
  3. Late Latinmermaid, sea nymph

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeSīrēnSīrēnēs
genitiveSīrēnisSīrēnum
dativeSīrēnīSīrēnibus
accusativeSīrēnemSīrēnēs
ablativeSīrēneSīrēnibus
vocativeSīrēnSīrēnēs

Sīrēn, ēnis, f., = Σειρήν,
I. a Siren.
I. Lit., usu. plur.: Sīrēnes, um, = Σειρῆνες, the Sirens, who, according to the myth, were birds with the faces of virgins. They dwelt on the southern coast of Italy, where, with their sweet voices, they enticed ashore those who were sailing by, and then killed them, Ov. M. 5, 555; Hyg. Fab. 125; 141; Serv. Verg. A. 5, 864; Cic. Fin. 5, 18, 49; Prop. 3, 12 (4, 11), 34; Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 23; Mart. 3, 64, 1; Ov. R. Am. 789; Plin. 10, 49, 70, § 136 al.—Sing.: Siren, Sil. 14, 473; cf. infra, 2.: scopuli Sirenum, three small islands of rock on the south-west coast of Campania, between Surrentum and Capreœ; in Gr. Σειρηνοῦσαι, now Galli, Verg. A. 5, 864 Heyne; Ov. M. 14, 88; also called Sirenum petrae, Mel. 2, 4, 9.—Hence, strange birds: Sirenes in delubris voluptatum, owls or ostriches, Vulg. lsa. 13, 22.—
2. Transf.
(a). Of the drones in a hive: fuci (vocantur) sirenes aut cephenes, Plin. 11, 16, 16, § 48. —
(b). Poet.: Cato Grammaticus, Latina Siren, the Latin Siren (as master of song), Poët. ap. Suet. Gram. 11: qui gaudet acerbo Plagarum strepitu et nullam Sirena flagellis Comparat, i. e. thinks no Siren's song equal to the sound of the whip, Juv. 14, 19: vitanda est improba Siren Desidia, allurer, seducer, Hor. S. 2, 3, 14.—Hence,
A. Sīrē-nĭus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to the Sirens, Siren-: scopuli, i. q. Sirenum scopuli (v. supra, I.), Gell. 16, 8, 17; Amm. 29, 2, 14. —
B. Sīrēnaeus, a, um, adj., Siren-: cantus, Siren-song, Hier. Ep. 82, 5.—
C. Sī-rēnis, ĭdis, adj. f., of the Sirens, Prisc. Perieg. 354.—
II. A kind of drones, Plin. 11, 16, 16, § 48.

Origins

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Σειρήν (Seirḗn).

Descendants
  • Catalansirena
  • EnglishSiren
  • Englishsiren
  • Frenchsirène
  • Portuguesesirenefrom French sirène
  • GermanSirene
  • Italiansirena
  • Italianserena
  • Portuguesesereiafrom Old Galician-Portuguese serẽa
  • Portuguesesirena

Quick answers

What does Sīrēn mean in Latin?
Sīrēn, a noun, means “a siren, one of the mythical birds with faces of virgins, that dwelt on the southern coast of Italy, where, with their sweet voices, they enticed ashore those who were sailing by, and then killed them.; drone in a hive; ”.
What is the genitive of Sīrēn?
The genitive singular is Sīrēnis. Sīrēn is feminine, third declension.
How do you pronounce Sīrēn?
In classical Latin, [ˈsiː.reːn]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈsiː.ren].