LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

tippula

tippula f (genitive tippulae)
Classical[ˈtɪp.pʊ.ɫa]Ecclesiastical[ˈtip.pu.la]

Meaning

  1. femininean insect running across the surface of the water, a pond-skater; a water spider
    noui: omnes sunt lenae leuifidae, nec tippulae leuius pondust quam fides lenonia.I know: all procuresses are untrustworthy, and a water spider has more weight than a procuress’s promise.c. 197 BCE, Plautus, Persa 2.2.62

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativetippulatippulae
genitivetippulaetippulārum
dativetippulaetippulīs
accusativetippulamtippulās
ablativetippulātippulīs
vocativetippulatippulae

tippŭla (tip-), ae, f.,
I. an insect that runs swiftly over the water, the water-spider, water - spinner, Varr. ap. Non. 180, 11. — Transf., of any very light object: neque tippulai leonis pondu'st quam fides lenonia, Plaut. Pers. 2, 2, 62; v. Ritschl ad h. l.

Origins

Diminutive of a borrowing from Ancient Greek τίφη (típhē, “water spider, type of beetle”), a word of non-Indo-European (likely Pre-Greek substrate) origin. This word is also glossed as "einkorn wheat" but that sense is likely separate.

Descendants
  • Catalantípula
  • Englishtipula
  • Englishtipulid
  • Frenchtipule
  • Italiantipula
  • Portuguesetípula
  • Spanishtípula
  • Esperantotipolo
  • TranslingualTipula

Quick answers

What does tippula mean in Latin?
tippula, a noun, means “an insect running across the surface of the water, a pond-skater; a water spider”.
What is the genitive of tippula?
The genitive singular is tippulae. tippula is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce tippula?
In classical Latin, [ˈtɪp.pʊ.ɫa]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈtip.pu.la].