LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

vespa

vespa f (genitive vespae)
Classical[ˈwɛs.pa]Ecclesiastical[ˈvɛs.pa]

Meaning

  1. femininewasp (insect)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativevespavespae
genitivevespaevespārum
dativevespaevespīs
accusativevespamvespās
ablativevespāvespīs
vocativevespavespae

vespa, ae, f. Gr. σφήξ; O. H. Germ. wefsa; Engl. wasp,
I. a wasp, Varr. R. R. 3, 16, 19; Plin. 11, 21, 24, § 71; 20, 13, 51, § 133; Phaedr. 3, 13, 3.

Origins

Inherited from Proto-Italic *wospā, metathesized from earlier *wopsā, from Proto-Indo-European *wóbʰseh₂, from *webʰ- (“to weave”). Cognate with English wasp.

Gallo-Romance
  • Catalanvespa
  • Occitanvèspa
  • Occitanguèspa
  • Occitanguespa
  • Franco-Provençalgouépa
  • Gasconvrèspafrom Occitan vèspa
  • Old Frenchguespe
Balkano-Romance
  • Romanianviespe
  • Romanianveaspă
  • Romanianjeaspă
  • Aromanianyeaspi
  • Megleno-Romanianvaspi
  • Megleno-Romanianghiaspi
Insular Romance
  • Sardinianespa
  • Sardinianespe
Ibero-Romance
  • Portuguesevespafrom Old Galician-Portuguese vespa
  • Spanishavispafrom Old Spanish biespa
  • Aragoneseabriaspa
  • Asturianviespa
  • Asturianaviespa
  • Galicianavespafrom Old Galician-Portuguese vespa
  • Galicianvespafrom Old Galician-Portuguese vespa
  • Ladinobizbafrom Old Spanish biespa
  • Ladinobezbafrom Old Spanish biespa
Italo-Dalmatian
  • Italianvespa
  • Corsicanvespa
  • Istriotbespa
  • Neapolitanvespa
  • Neapolitanrespa
  • Sicilianvespa
  • Venetanvespa
  • Venetanbespa
  • Venetanbrespa
  • Venetanciospa
Gallo-Italic
  • Lombardbesba
  • Lombardveisp
  • Piedmontesevespa
  • Piedmonteseghespa
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Friuliangjespe
  • Friulianjespe
  • Friulianviespe
  • Ladinvespa
  • Ladinbespia
  • Romanshvespra
  • Romanshviaspra
Borrowings
  • Idovespofrom Esperanto vespo
  • Interlinguavespa
Elsewhere
  • Asturianbriespafrom Vulgar Latin vespula
  • Asturiangriespafrom Vulgar Latin vespula
  • Galician-Asturianavézporafrom Vulgar Latin vespula
  • Galician-Asturianabrespafrom Vulgar Latin vespula
  • Neapolitanvèsperafrom Vulgar Latin vespula

Quick answers

What does vespa mean in Latin?
vespa, a noun, means “wasp (insect)”.
What is the genitive of vespa?
The genitive singular is vespae. vespa is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce vespa?
In classical Latin, [ˈwɛs.pa]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈvɛs.pa].