LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

ulula

ulula f (genitive ululae)
Classical[ˈʊ.ɫʊ.ɫa]Ecclesiastical[ˈuː.lu.la]

Meaning

  1. femininescreech owl (Tyto alba), tawny owl (Strix aluco)
    Near-synonyms: būbō, strix, noctua, parra

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeululaululae
genitiveululaeululārum
dativeululaeululīs
accusativeululamululās
ablativeululāululīs
vocativeululaululae

ŭlŭla, ae, f. (sc. avis) [kindr. with Sanscr. ulūka; old Germ. uwila, ūla; new Germ. Eule; Engl. owl; cf. Gr. ὀλολύζω],
I. a screechowl whose cry was of ill omen, Varr. L. L. 5, 11, § 75 Müll.; Plin. 10, 12, 16, § 34; cf. id. 30, 13, 39, § 118; Verg. E. 8, 55.—Prov.: homines eum pejus formidant quam fullo ululam, Varr. Sat. Men. 86, 4.

Origins

From an imitative reduplicated root, perhaps ultimately Proto-Indo-European *(H)ulu(l)- (“to cry out, howl; owl”). Compare Sanskrit उलूक (ulūka, “owl”), sometimes also compared to Hittite 𒄷𒉿𒆷𒀸 (ḫu-wa-la-aš, “a kind of bird: owl?”) and Proto-Germanic *uwwulǭ (“owl”), though these may all be independent onomatopoeias. More at ululō (“howl, screech”). Compare also upupa.

Quick answers

What does ulula mean in Latin?
ulula, a noun, means “screech owl (Tyto alba), tawny owl (Strix aluco)”.
What is the genitive of ulula?
The genitive singular is ululae. ulula is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce ulula?
In classical Latin, [ˈʊ.ɫʊ.ɫa]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈuː.lu.la].