noun · femininefirst declension
terra1
terra f (genitive terrae)
Classical[ˈtɛr.ra]Ecclesiastical[ˈtɛr.ra]
№ 70 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- femininedry land (as opposed to watery parts of the Earth)
- feminineground, floor (the surface of the land)
- feminineearth, soil, dirt, clay, clod (the substance generally composing the dry land)
Quod superest, quaecumque premes virgulta per agros sparge fimo pingui et multa memor occule terra, aut lapidem bibulum aut squalentis infode conchas; inter enim labentur aquae, tenuisque subibit halitus, atque animos tollent sata. Iamque reperti qui saxo super atque ingentis pondere testae urgerent: hoc effusos munimen ad imbris,
Translation by James B. Greenough For the rest, whate'er The sets thou plantest in thy fields, thereon Strew refuse rich, and with abundant earth Take heed to hide them, and dig in withal Rough shells or porous stone, for therebetween Will water trickle and fine vapour creep, And so the plants their drooping spirits raise. Aye, and there have been, who with weight of stone Or heavy potsherd press them from above; This serves for shield in pelting showers, and this When the hot dog-star chaps the fields with drought.c. 37 BCE – 30 BCE, Vergilius, Georgicon 2.346–353 - feminineland, country, region, territory (any given area of dry land)
Longa via est, properā! nōbīs habitābitur orbis
Translation by A. S. Kline Quick, it’s a long way! I’ll be alive here at the end of the earth, in a land that’s far away from my land. (The poet writes from exile.)8 CE – 12 CE, Ovidius, Tristia 1.127–128[…]et asportavit ea in terram Sennaar in domum dei sui[…]
Translation by King James Version […] which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god […]c. 347 CE – 420 CE, Hieronymus, Vulgate Daniel 1:2 - femininein pluralearth (the entire surface of planet Earth; dry land and sea together, as opposed to the heavens)
[Agorastocles] Quaeso, qui lubet tam diu tenere collum? Omitte saltem tu altera. Nolo ego istuc. [Adelphasium] Enicas me. Prius quam tibi desponderit. [Agorastocles] Mitto. [Adelphasium] Sperate, salve. [Hanno] Condamus alter alterum ergo in nervom bracchialem. Quibus nunc in terra melius est? [Agorastocles] Eveniunt digna dignis.
c. 194 BCE, Plautus, Poenulus 5.4.105–110Omne adeo genus in terris hominumque ferarumque et genus aequoreum, pecudes pictaeque volucres,
Translation by A. S. Kline Every species on earth, man and creature, and the species of the sea, and cattle and bright-feathered birds, rush about in fire and frenzy: love’s the same for all.c. 37 BCE – 30 BCE, Vergilius, Georgicon III - femininethe Earth, the globe, the world (as a celestial object)
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
quam pedibus premimus et quae omnia fert; etiam tōtus orbis.terra -ae f — in Mille Verba, Rūs et Agrīcultūra
ubi hominēs habitantterra -ae (f) — in Evangelium secundum Matthaeum, ch. 4
earth
terra -ae — in Viri Romae Facillimi, ch. 8, 10, 15, 22
the ground
terra — in Seneca, ch. V
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Tellus · Terra · Solum · Humus
Tellus denotes the earth as a whole, as the centre of the universe, as a goddess, in opp. to other bodies in the universe, or other divinities, like Γαῖα, Γῆ; whereas terra (τέρσω, torreo,) as matter and one of the elements in opp. to the other elements, like γαῖα, γῆ); solum (ὅλον) as a solid element, in opp. especially to water, like πέδον; lastly, humus (χθών, χαμαί), as the lowest part of the visible world, in opp. to the sky, like χθών. Hence the derivative terrenus is in opp. to igneus; solidus is in opp. to fluidus; lastly, humilis, in opp. to sublimis. (i. 173.)
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | terra | terrae |
| genitive | terrae | terrārum |
| dative | terrae | terrīs |
| accusative | terram | terrās |
| ablative | terrā | terrīs |
| vocative | terra | terrae |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- terra potiri
- to conquer a country.
- ultimae terrae
- the most distant countries, the world's end.
- in terram demergi
- to sink into the earth.
- terra fundit fruges
- the earth brings forth fruit abundantly.
- finitimum esse terrae
- to be contiguous, adjacent to a country.
- ea, quae terra gignit
- the vegetable kingdom.
- extremae terrae partes
- the most distant countries, the world's end.
- orbis terrae, terrarum
- the earth; the globe
24 more phrases
- exire, egredi in terram
- to land, disembark.
- tangere, attingere terram
- to be contiguous, adjacent to a country.
- in terram cadere, decidere
- to fall to the earth.
- ea, quae e terra gignuntur
- the vegetable kingdom.
- terra (regio) mediterranea
- an inland region; the interior.
- aer qui est terrae proximus
- the atmosphere.
- terram suae dicionis facere
- to reduce a country to subjection to oneself.
- orbis, pars (terrae), cingulus
- a zone.
- (terra) continens (B. G. 5. 8. 2)
- the continent.
- appellere navem (ad terram, litus)
- to land (of people).
- iter ingredi (pedibus, equo, terra)
- to begin a journey (on foot, on horseback, by land).
- oculos figere in terra and in terram
- to keep one's eyes on the ground.
- milites in terram, in terra exponere
- to disembark troops.
- portu, terra prohiberi (B. C. 3. 15)
- to be unable to land.
- ea, quae a terra stirpibus continentur
- the vegetable kingdom.
- aer terrae circumiectus or circumfusus
- the atmosphere.
- imperium orbis terrarum terminis definitur
- the empire reaches to the ends of the world.
- terrarum or regionum descriptio (geographia)
- geography.
- continentem esse terrae or cum terra (Fam. 15. 2. 2)
- to have the same boundaries; to be coterminous.
- ea quorum stirpes terra continentur (N. D. 2. 10. 26)
- the vegetable kingdom.
- terra effert (more rarely fert, but not profert) fruges
- the earth brings forth fruit, crops.
- disiunctissimas ultimas terras peragrare (not permigrare)
- to travel through the most remote countries.
terra (archaic tera, Varr. L. L. 5, 4, 21), ae (
I. gen. terras, Naev. ap. Prisc. p. 679 P.: terraï, Enn. ap. Charis. p. 7 ib. (Ann. v. 479 Vahl.); Lucr. 1, 212; 1, 251; 2, 1063; 3, 989 et saep.), f. perh. Sanscr. root tarsh-, to be dry, thirsty; Lat. torreo, torris; Germ Durst; Engl. thirst; prop. the dry land, the earth, opp. to the heavens, the sea, the air, etc.; land, ground, soil (cf.: tellus, solum).
I. In gen.:
principio terra universa cernatur, locata in mediā sede mundi, solida et globosa et undique ipsa in sese nutibus suis conglobata, etc., Cic. N. D. 2, 39, 98: terra in medio mundo sita, id. Tusc. 1, 17, 40: hunc statum esse hujus totius mundi atque naturae, rotundum ut caelum, terra ut media sit, eaque suā vi nutuque teneatur, id. de Or. 3, 45, 178: umbra terrae, id. Rep. 1, 14, 22: terrae motus, earthquakes, id. Div. 1, 18, 35; 1, 35, 78; cf. Sen. Q. N. 6, 1, 1 sqq.; Curt. 4, 4 fin.: Plin. 2, 79, 81, § 191 sq.: res invectae ex terrā, Cic. Rep. 2, 5, 10: terra continens adventus hostium denuntiat, id. ib. 2, 3, 6: Massilia fere ex tribus oppidi partibus mari alluitur: reliqua quarta est, quae aditum habeat a terrā, Caes. B. C. 2, 1: cui parti (insulae) nulla est objecta terra, id. B. G. 5, 13: iter terrā petere, Cic. Planc. 40, 96; cf.: ipse terrā eodem pergit, Liv. 31, 16, 3: esse in terrā atque in tuto loco, on solid ground, Plaut. Merc. 1, 2, 87: ex magnā jactatione terram videns, Cic. Mur. 2, 4: terrā marique, by land and by water (very freq.), id. Att. 9, 1, 3; id. Imp. Pomp. 19, 56; Vatin. ap. Cic. Fam. 5, 9, 2; Sall. C. 13, 3; cf. Cic. Ac. 2, 38, 120: insidiae terrā marique factae, Cic. Verr. 1, 2, 3; the form et terrā et mari is also class., id. ib. 2, 2, 39, § 96 (B. and K. bracket the first et); 2, 5, 50, § 131; id. Mur. 15, 33; Liv. 37, 29, 5; Nep. Hann. 10, 2; id. Ham. 1, 2; id. Alcib. 1, 2; Sen. Ep 60, 2; 101, 4; for which also: bellum terrā et mari comparat, id. Att. 10, 4, 3: terrā ac mari, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 2, § 4: marique terrāque usque quāque quaeritat, Plaut. Poen. prol. 105: aut terrā aut mari, id. Ps. 1, 3, 83: mari atque terrā, Sall. C. 53, 2: mari ac terrā, Flor. 2, 8, 11: mari terrāque, Liv. 37, 11, 9; 37, 52, 3: natura sic ab his investigata est, ut nulla pars caelo, mari, terrā (ut poëtice loquar) praetermissa sit, Cic. Fin. 5, 4, 9: eorum, quae gignuntur e terrā, stirpes et stabilitatem dant iis, quae sustinent, et ex terrā sucum trahunt, etc., id. N. D. 2, 47, 120: num qui nummi exciderunt, ere, tibi, quod sic terram Obtuere? Plaut. Bacch. 4, 4, 17: tollere saxa de terrā, Cic. Caecin. 21, 60: tam crebri ad terram accidebant, quam pira, Plaut. Poen. 2, 38; so, ad terram, id. Capt. 4, 2, 17; id. Pers. 2, 4, 22; id. Rud. 4, 3, 71: aliquem in terram statuere, Ter. Ad. 3, 2, 18: ne quid in terram defluat, Cic. Lael. 16, 58: penitus terrae defigitur arbos, Verg. G. 2, 290; so. terrae (dat.), id. ib. 2, 318; id. A. 11, 87; Ov. M. 2, 347; Liv. 5, 51, 3; Plin. 14, 21, 27, § 133 al.: sub terris si jura deum, in the infernal regions, Prop. 3, 5 (4, 4), 39; cf.: mei sub terras ibit imago, Verg. A. 4, 654: genera terrae, kinds of earth, Plin. 35, 16, 53, § 191: Samia terra, Samian pottery clay, id. 28, 12, 53, § 194: terrae filius, son of earth, i. e. human being, Cic. Att. 1, 13, 4: terrā orti, natives of the soil, aborigines, autochthones, Quint. 3, 7, 26: cum aquam terramque ab Lacedaemoniis petierunt, water and earth (as a token of subjection), Liv. 35, 17, 7: terram edere, Cels. 2, 7, 7. — B. Personified, Terra, the Earth, as a goddess;
usu. called Tellus, Magna Mater, Ceres, Cybele, etc.: jam si est Ceres a gerendo, Terra ipsa dea est et ita habetur: quae est enim alia Tellus? Cic. N. D. 3, 20, 52; cf. Varr. R. R. 1, 1, 5; Ov. F. 6, 299; 6. 460; Hyg. Fab. 55; 140; 152; Naev. 2, 16; Suet. Tib. 75. — II. In partic., a land, country, region, territory (cf.: regio, plaga, tractus): Laurentis terra, Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 762 P. (Ann. v. 35 Vahl.):
terra erilis patria, Plaut. Stich. 5. 2, 2; cf.: in nostrā terrā in Apuliā, id. Cas. prol. 72: tua, id. Men. 2, 1, 4: mea, Ov. Tr. 1, 1, 128: in hac terrā, Cic. Lael. 4, 13: in eā terrā (sc. Sicilia), Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 48, § 106: terra Gallia, Caes. B. G. 1, 30: terra Italia, Liv. 25 7, 4 Drak. N. cr.; 29, 10, 5; 30, 32, 6; 38, 47 6; 39, 17, 2; 42, 29, 1: Africa, id. 29, 23, 10 Hispania, id. 38, 58, 5: Pharsalia, id. 33, 6, 11. —In plur.: in quascumque terras, Cic. Rep. 2, 4, 9: eae terrae, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 18, § 47: qui terras incolunt eas, in quibus, etc., id. N. D. 2, 16, 42: abire in aliquas terras, id. Cat. 1, 8, 20: (Cimbri) alias terras petierunt, Caes. B. G. 7, 77 et saep. — Esp., terrae, the earth, the world: pecunia tanta, quanta est in terris, in the whole earth, in the world, Cic. Agr. 2, 23, 62: quid erat in terris, ubi, etc., id. Phil. 2, 19, 48; 2, 20, 50; 2, 23, 57; id. Cael. 5, 12: ruberes Viveret in terris te si quis avarior, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 157; Sen. Prov. 2, 9; so, aureus hanc vitam in terris Saturnus agebat, Verg. G. 2, 538: terrarum cura, id. ib. 1, 26. — Ante-class., also in terrā, in the world: quibus nunc in terrā melius est? Plaut. Poen. 5, 4, 100: scelestiorem in terrā nullam esse alteram, id. Cist. 4, 1, 8; id. Mil. 1, 1, 52; 2, 3, 42; id. Bacch. 5, 2, 51; id. Aul. 5, 9, 12; id. Curc. 1, 2, 51.—Hence also the phrase orbis terrarum, the world, the whole world, all nations: quae orbem terrarum implevere famā, Plin. 36, 36, 13, § 76: Graecia in toto orbe terrarum potentissima, id. 18, 7, 12, § 65: cujus tres testes essent totum orbem terrarum nostro imperio teneri, Cic. Balb. 6, 16; but freq. also orbis terrarum, the world, i. e. the empire of Rome: orbis terrarum gentiumque omnium, id. Agr. 2, 13, 33; cf. id. Rosc. Am. 36, 103; while orbis terrae, the globe, the earth, the world, id. Phil. 13, 15, 30; id. Fam. 5, 7, 3; id. Fl. 41, 103; id. Agr. 1, 1, 2; but also with ref. to the Roman dominion, id. de Or. 3, 32, 131; id. Sull. 11, 33; id. Dom. 42, 110; id. Phil. 8, 3, 10; id. Off, 2, 8, 27; id. Cat. 1, 1, 3; cf. of the Senate: publicum orbis terrae consilium, id. Fam. 3, 8, 4; id. Cat. 1, 4, 9; id. Phil. 3, 14, 34; 4, 6, 14; 7, 7, 19; v. orbis: quoquo hinc asportabitur terrarum, certum est persequi, Ter. Phorm. 3, 3, 18: ubi terrarum esses, ne suspicabar quidem, in what country, or where in the world, Cic. Att. 5, 10, 4, so, ubi terrarum, id. Rab. Post. 13, 37: ubicumque terrarum, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 55, § 143; id. Phil. 2, 44, 113.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
terra ae, f
TERS-, the earth : locata in mediā sede mundi: umbra terrae.—Person., as a goddess, Terra, Earth , C., O.— The land : res invectae ex terrā: aditum habere ab terrā, Cs.: ipse terrā eodem pergit, L.: nationibus terrā marique imperare, by land and sea : mari terrāque bella commissa: et mari et terrā, N.: mari atque terrā, S.— The ground, earth : terrae motūs, earthquakes : quae gignuntur e terrā: mei sub terras ibit imago, i. e. to the underworld , V.— Soil, earth, ground : terrae filius, son of earth : aquam terramque ab Lacedaemoniis petere, water and earth (in token of subjection), L.: Sicco terram spuit ore viator, V.— A land, country, region, territory : mea, O.: in hac terrā: Gallia, Cs.: eae terrae: qui terras incolant eas, etc.: (Cimbri) alias terras petierunt, Cs.: Terrarum curam accipere, of the nations , V.: Ostendent terris hunc tantum fata, i. e. to men , V.—In the phrase, in terris, in all lands, on earth, in the world : pecunia quanta est in terris, in the world : ruberes, Viveret in terris te si quis avarior, H.—In the phrase, orbis terrarum, or orbis terrae, the world, whole world, all nations : totum orbem terrarum nostro imperio teneri: senatus, id est, orbis terrae consilium.— Plur gen ., with adv. of place : Quoquo hinc asportabitur terrarum, to whatever part of the world , T.: ubi terrarum esses, where in the world .
Origins
Proto-Indo-European *ters-der. Proto-Italic *terzā Latin terra From Proto-Italic *terzā, from Proto-Indo-European *ters-eh₂, from *ters- (“dry”). Doublet of torreō. Cognate with Ancient Greek τέρσομαι (térsomai), Old Irish tír, Sanskrit तृषा (tṛ́ṣā), Old English þurst (whence English thirst). Compare the semantics of Ancient Greek Ancient Greek χέρσος (khérsos).
Balkano-Romance
- Romanianțeară
- Romanianțarăfrom Romanian țeară
- Aromaniantsarã
Italo-Dalmatian
- Italianterra
- Italiantierra
- Galluresetarrafrom Corsican terra
- Sassareseterrafrom Corsican terra
- Dalmatiantara
- Dalmatiantiara
- Istriottiera
- Judeo-Italianטֵירַה
- Tarantinoterrefrom Neapolitan terra
- Sicilianterra
Southern Gallo-Romance
- Catalanterra
- Occitantèrrafrom Old Occitan terra
Ibero-Romance
- Portugueseterrafrom Old Galician-Portuguese terra
- Spanishtierrafrom Old Spanish tierra
- Aragonesetierra
- Asturiantierra
- Galicianterrafrom Old Galician-Portuguese terra
- Ladinotierrafrom Old Spanish tierra
Insular Romance
- Sardinianterra
Rhaeto-Romance
- Friuliantiere
- Ladintera
- Ladintiera
- Romanshtiara
- Romanshterra
Gallo-Italic
- Emiliantèra
- Liguriantæra
- Ligurianterra
- Lombardtera
- Piedmontesetèra
Northern Gallo-Romance
- Franco-Provençaltèrra
- Old Frenchterre
Borrowings
- Esperantotero