LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

vīpera

vīpera f (genitive vīperae)
Classical[ˈwiː.pɛ.ra]Ecclesiastical[ˈviː.pe.ra]

Meaning

  1. adder, snake, serpent, viper
  2. figurativelysomeone who is malicious, vicious, treacherous
    prōgeniēs vīperārum quis dēmōnstrāvit vōbīs fugere ā futūrā īrā“[You] progeny of vipers! Who showed you [how/where] to flee from the coming wrath?”c. 347 CE – 420 CE, Hieronymus, Vulgate Matthew.3.7

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativevīperavīperae
genitivevīperaevīperārum
dativevīperaevīperīs
accusativevīperamvīperās
ablativevīperāvīperīs
vocativevīperavīperae

vīpĕra, ae, f. contr. from vivipera, from vivus-pario, that brings forth living young,
I. a viper.
I. Lit.: Coluber berus, Linn.; Plin. 10, 62, 82, § 169.—
II. Transf.
A. Adder, snake, serpent, in gen., Prop. 4 (5), 7, 53; Verg. G. 3, 417; Hor. C. 3, 4, 17; id. Epod. 5, 15; 16, 52; Ov. M. 10, 24; id. R. Am. 421; id. A. A. 2, 376 al.—Prov.: in sinu viperam habere, Cic. Har. Resp. 24, 50: viperam nutricare sub alā, to nourish a viper in one's bosom, Petr. 77: vipera est in vepreculā, Pomp. ap. Non. p. 231, 13; v. veprecula.—
B. Viper! serpent! as a term of reproach for a dangerous person: saevissima, Juv. 6, 641: tandem, vipera, sibilare desiste, Flor. 4, 12, 37; cf. Don. Ter. Eun. 5, 1, 8.

Origins

Contraction of *vivipera, an alteration of vivipara, the feminine of vīviparus (literally “livebearing”), referring to the young being born alive and whole (as opposed to being formed in a laid egg), from vīvus (“alive”) + pariō (“to give birth”) + -us (noun-forming suffix).

Descendants
  • Catalanvibra
  • Catalanvíbria
  • Italianvipera
  • GermanViperfrom Middle High German viper
  • Occitanvipèra
  • Frenchvouivrefrom Old French guivre
  • Englishweeverfrom Old French guivre
  • Englishwyvernfrom Old Northern French wivre
  • Spanishguivernofrom Old Northern French wivre
  • Englishviperfrom Old French vipre

Quick answers

What does vīpera mean in Latin?
vīpera, a noun, means “adder, snake, serpent, viper; someone who is malicious, vicious, treacherous”.
What is the genitive of vīpera?
The genitive singular is vīperae. vīpera is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce vīpera?
In classical Latin, [ˈwiː.pɛ.ra]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈviː.pe.ra].