LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinefirst declension

verna

verna m or f (genitive vernae)
Classical[ˈwɛr.na]Ecclesiastical[ˈvɛr.na]

Meaning

  1. femininemasculinea homeborn slave (a slave born in his master's house)
  2. femininemasculineterm of abuse

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativevernavernae
genitivevernaevernārum
dativevernaevernīs
accusativevernamvernās
ablativevernāvernīs
vocativevernavernae

verna, ae, comm. root vas, to dwell; Sanscr. vāstu, house; Gr. ἄστυ, city,
I. a slave born in his master's house, a homeborn slave.
I. Lit.: vernas alere, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 104; id. Am. 1, 1, 24; Just. 38, 6, 7; Val. Max. 3, 4, 3; Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 15, 2; Hor. Epod. 2, 65; id. S. 1, 2, 117; 2, 6, 66.—In gen. fem., Inscr. Orell. 1320.— Such slaves were trained up as buffoons or jesters, Mart. 1, 42, 2; cf. Sen. Prov. 1, 6; and v. vernilitas.—As a term of abuse, Plaut. Am. 4, 2, 13.—
II. Transf., a native: de plebe Remi Numaeque verna, Jucundus, etc., Mart. 10, 76, 4; cf.: Romanos vernas appellabant, id est ibidem natos, Fest. p. 372 Müll.—Hence,
B. Adj.: ver-nus, a, um, native: apri, Mart. 1, 50, 24: lupi, id. 10, 30, 21: tuberes, id. 13, 43, 2: liber, i. e. written in Rome, id. 3, 1, 6.

Origins

Possibly an Etruscan borrowing, though a Proto-Indo-European origin would suggest connections with Sanskrit वास्तु॑ (vā́stu, “house”), Ancient Greek ᾰ̓́στῠ (ắstŭ), Latin vās, Old Norse vist, all referring to "abode" or "utensils".

Descendants
  • Italianverna
  • Portugueseverna

Quick answers

What does verna mean in Latin?
verna, a noun, means “a homeborn slave (a slave born in his master's house); term of abuse”.
What is the genitive of verna?
The genitive singular is vernae. verna is masculine, first declension.
How do you pronounce verna?
In classical Latin, [ˈwɛr.na]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈvɛr.na].