LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

strēna

strēna f (genitive strēnae)
Classical[ˈstreː.na]Ecclesiastical[ˈstrɛː.na]

Meaning

  1. an auspicious sign, a (favorable) omen
    SANG Sequor, et domum redeunti principium placet. bona scaeva strenaque obviam occessit mihi.Sangarinus: "Yes, I’m following you, and I like the start of our return home. A good omen and favorable sign have come my way."c. 200 BCE, Plautus, Stichus 5.2.23–24
  2. New Year's gift

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativestrēnastrēnae
genitivestrēnaestrēnārum
dativestrēnaestrēnīs
accusativestrēnamstrēnās
ablativestrēnāstrēnīs
vocativestrēnastrēnae

strēna, ae, f. Sabine.
I. Lit., a sign, prognostic, omen (Plautin.), Plaut. Stich. 3, 2, 8; 5, 2, 24.—
II. Transf., a new-year's present given for the sake of the omen (syn. xenium; cf. the Fr. étrennes), Suet. Calig. 42; id. Aug. 57; id. Tib. 34; Pompon. ap. Non. 17, 1 al.; cf.: strenam vocamus, quae datur die religioso, ominis boni gratiā, Fest. s. h. v. p. 313 Müll.; Aus. Ep. 18, 4.

Origins

Probably borrowed from Sabine, from Proto-Italic *stregsno-, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *streg-sno-, from *(s)treg-, *(s)terg- (“to be stiff, rigid, strong”), and cognate with Old Irish trén (“strong”), Icelandic þrek (“strength”).

Descendants
  • Catalanestrena
  • Italianstrenna
  • Frenchétrennefrom Old French estreine
  • Portugueseestreiafrom Old Galician-Portuguese *estrẽa
  • Spanishestrena
  • Spanishestreno
  • Ladinoestrena
  • Galicianestreafrom Old Galician-Portuguese *estrẽa
  • Sicilianstrina

Quick answers

What does strēna mean in Latin?
strēna, a noun, means “an auspicious sign, a (favorable) omen; New Year's gift”.
What is the genitive of strēna?
The genitive singular is strēnae. strēna is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce strēna?
In classical Latin, [ˈstreː.na]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈstrɛː.na].