noun · femininefirst declension
vēna
vēna f (genitive vēnae)
Classical[ˈweː.na]Ecclesiastical[ˈvɛː.na]
Mille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- a vein, blood vessel
- an artery
- a watercourse
- a vein of metals
- the urinary passage
- a vein or streak of wood or stone
- a row of trees in a garden
- the penis
- figurativelystrength
- figurativelythe interior, the innate or natural quality or nature of something; the innermost feelings, spring, pulse
- figurativelyone's natural bent, genius, disposition, vein
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
via sanguinis in corpore; per vēnās sanguis fluit.vēna -ae f — in Mille Verba, Corpus Hūmānum
via sanguinis; līnea in saxōvēna -ae (f) — in Metamorphoses I, ch. 2, 13, 17, 22
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | vēna | vēnae |
| genitive | vēnae | vēnārum |
| dative | vēnae | vēnīs |
| accusative | vēnam | vēnās |
| ablative | vēnā | vēnīs |
| vocative | vēna | vēnae |
vēna, ae, f. perh. root veh-, to carry, etc.; prop. a pipe, channel; Gr. ὀχετός,
I. a blood-vessel, vein.
I. Lit.
1. In gen.:
venae et arteriae a corde tractae et profectae in corpus omne ducuntur, Cic. N. D. 2, 55, 139: venam incidere, id. Pis. 34, 83; Cels. 2, 10: bracchiorum venas interscindere, Tac. A. 15, 35: abrumpere, id. ib. 15, 59: abscindere, id. ib. 15, 69: exsolvere, id. ib. 16, 17; 16, 19: pertundere, Juv. 6, 46: secare, Suet. Vit. Luc.: ferire, Verg. G. 3, 460: solvere, Col. 6, 14, 3.—2. In partic., an artery:
si cui venae sic moventur, is habet febrem, Cic. Fat. 8, 15; Cels. 3, 6: tentare, to feel the pulse, Suet. Tib. 72 fin.; for which, tangere, Pers. 3, 107; Sid. Ep. 22: si protinus venae conciderunt, i. e. the pulse has sunk or fallen, Cels. 3, 5; cf.: venis fugientibus, Ov. P. 3, 1, 69.—B. Transf., of things that resemble veins.
1. A water-course, Hirt. B. G. 8, 43;
Auct. B. Alex. 8, 1: fecundae vena aquae, Ov. Tr. 3, 7, 16; Mart. 10, 30, 10.—3. The urinary passage, Cels. 4, 1.—
4. A vein or streak of wood, Plin. 16, 38, 73, § 184; 13, 15, 30, § 97. —Of stone, Plin. 37, 6, 24, § 91; Stat. S. 1, 3, 36.—
5. A row of trees in a garden, Plin. 17, 11, 15, § 76.—
II. Trop.
A. The strength:
vino fulcire venas cadentes, Sen. Ep. 95, 22; id. Ben. 3, 9, 22; cf. Hor. S. 2, 3, 153.—B. The interior, the innate or natural quality or nature of a thing:
periculum residebit et erit inclusum penitus in venis et visceribus rei publicae, Cic. Cat. 1, 13, 31: (orator) teneat oportet venas cujusque generis, aetatis, ordinis, the innermost feelings, the spring, pulse, id. de Or. 1, 52, 223: si ulla vena paternae disciplinae in nobis viveret, Sev. ap. Spart. Pesc. 3.—C. For a person's natural bent, genius, disposition, vein (the fig. taken from veins of metal):
ego nec studium sine divite venā, Nec rude quid possit video ingenium, Hor. A. P. 409: tenuis et angusta ingenii, Quint. 6, 2, 3: benigna ingenii, Hor. C. 2, 18, 10: publica (vatis), Juv. 7, 53.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
vēna ae, f
a blood-vessel, vein: venae et arteriae: pertundere, Iu.: ferire, V.—An artery: si cui venae sic moventur, is habet febrim: temptatae pollice venae, i. e. the pulses, O.—A watercourse: fecundae aquae, O.—A metallic vein, mine: auri venas invenire: argentum venae secundae, Iu.: venae peioris aevom, i. e. of baser metal, O.—Fig., strength: Deficient inopem venae te, ni, etc., H.: venis fugientibus aeger, O.—Plur, the veins, heart, inmost nature: periculum erit inclusum in venis rei p.—A vein, natural bent, genius, disposition: ingeni benigna, H.: publica (vatis), Iu.
Origins
Of uncertain origin; proposed derivations include: * From Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ- (“to bring, transport”), the same root of via (“road”). * From Proto-Indo-European *wenh₁- (“to love”), the same root of venēnum (“juice; venom”). * From Proto-Indo-European *weyp- (“to shake, swing”), the same root of vibex (“weal, welt”). * From a root common to Lithuanian gýsla (“vein”) and Russian жи́ла (žíla, “vein”). * From Proto-Indo-European *h₂weh₁- (“to blow”), as veins are similar to air pipes. * From Proto-Indo-European *wedʰ- (“to pledge, lead”). * From a Proto-Indo-European *wes-no- (“of blood”), and cognate with Avestan 𐬬𐬀𐬢𐬵𐬎𐬙𐬁𐬝 (vaŋhutāt̰, “blood”), as well as perhaps Sanskrit वसा (vasā, “fat, lard”). This theory appears to be preferred by De Vaan.
Borrowings
- Englishvena
- GermanVene
- Romanianvenă
- Bulgarianвена
- Finnishvena
- Hungarianvéna
- Macedonianвена
- Polishwena
- Russianвена
- Cyrillic scriptвена
Gallo-Romance
- Frenchveinefrom Old French veine
- Englishveinfrom Old French veine
- Vietnamesevenfrom Old French veine
- Normanveinefrom Old French veine
- Scotsvanfrom Old French veine
- Scotsvanefrom Old French veine
- Scotsvainfrom Old French veine
- Scotsvainefrom Old French veine
- Walloonvoenne
Occitano-Romance
- Catalanvena
- Occitanvenafrom Old Occitan vena
- Gasconvea
- Gasconveia
- Gasconvia
- Gasconvenha
Ibero-Romance
- Portugueseveiafrom Old Galician-Portuguese vẽa
- Spanishvenafrom Old Spanish vena
- Aragonesevena
- Asturianvena
- Falaveafrom Old Galician-Portuguese vẽa
- Galicianveafrom Old Galician-Portuguese vẽa
Eastern Romance
- Romanianvână
- Aromanianvinã
- Aromanianvãnã
Italo-Romance
- Italianvena
- Sicilianvina
Dalmatian
- unknownvaina
North Italian
- Friulianvene
- Emilianvèina
- Emilianvàina
- Emilianvèna
- Ligurianvénn-a
- Lombardvena
- Lombardena
- Piedmonteseven-a
- Piedmontesevèina
- Piedmontesevègna
Sardinian
- unknownbena
- unknownvena