LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

tilia

tilia f (genitive tiliae)
Classical[ˈtɪ.li.a]Ecclesiastical[ˈtiː.li.a]

Meaning

  1. femininelinden or lime tree
  2. femininethe inner bark of the linden or lime tree

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

arbor mollis, quae flōrēs suāvēs habet
tilia -ae (f) — in Metamorphoses I, ch. 16

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativetiliatiliae
genitivetiliaetiliārum
dativetiliaetiliīs
accusativetiliamtiliās
ablativetiliātiliīs
vocativetiliatiliae

tĭlĭa, ae, f.,
I. the linden or lime-tree.
I. Lit., Plin. 16, 14, 25, § 65; Verg. G. 1, 173; 2, 449; 4, 183; Ov. M. 8, 620; 10, 92. —
II. Transf., the inner bark of the linden, barkbands, Plin. 16, 14, 25, § 65; cf. of the elm: corticis interior tilia lepras sedat, id. 24, 8, 33, § 48.

Origins

Probably a borrowing from a Mediterranean substrate, found also in Ancient Greek πτελέα (pteléa, “elm”) and Old Armenian թեղի (tʻełi).

Descendants
  • Catalantell
  • Italiantiglio
  • Occitantelha
  • Occitantelh
  • Frenchtilleulfrom Old French til
  • Englishteilfrom Old French til
  • Frenchtillefrom Old French til
  • Frenchteillefrom Old French til
  • Spanishtilofrom Old French til
  • Spanishtilafrom Old French til

In English words that came into English from tilia

  • teiltilia
  • tiliaceoustilia

Quick answers

What does tilia mean in Latin?
tilia, a noun, means “linden or lime tree; the inner bark of the linden or lime tree”.
What is the genitive of tilia?
The genitive singular is tiliae. tilia is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce tilia?
In classical Latin, [ˈtɪ.li.a]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈtiː.li.a].