noun · femininefirst declension
tortūca
tortūca f (genitive tortūcae)
Classical[tɔrˈtuː.ka]Ecclesiastical[torˈtuː.ka]
Meaning
- Medieval Latintortoise, turtle
Tortuca inter teſtudines computatur, eo quod inter teſtes duriſſimas clauditur, inter quas recolligit, quando ab aliquo moleſtatur.
c. 1240, Bartholomaeus Anglicus, chapter 18, in De Proprietatibus Rerum, page 1121:
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | tortūca | tortūcae |
| genitive | tortūcae | tortūcārum |
| dative | tortūcae | tortūcīs |
| accusative | tortūcam | tortūcās |
| ablative | tortūcā | tortūcīs |
| vocative | tortūca | tortūcae |
Origins
A Latinization of various corresponding Ibero-Romance forms, such as Asturian, Catalan, and Spanish tortuga. The penultimate syllable is long because it carries stress akin to the Ibero-Romance forms.