bacciballum

Latin

Etymology

Only attested once in the Satyricon. Its exact meaning and etymology are uncertain, but its generally agreed upon by scholars to be a colloquial term used to refer to an attractive woman.

Pronunciation

  • (Classical) IPA(key): /bak.kiˈbal.lum/, [bäkːɪˈbälːʲʊ̃ˑ]
  • (Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /bat.t͡ʃiˈbal.lum/, [bätː͡ʃiˈbälːum]

Noun

bacciballum n (genitive bacciballī); second declension

  1. (hapax, colloquial) an attractive woman
    • c. 27 CE – 66 CE, Petronius, Satyricon 61:
      Cum adhuc servirem, habitabamus in vico angusto; nunc Gavillae domus est. Ibi, quomodo dii volunt, amare coepi uxorem Terentii coponis: noveratis Melissam Tarentinam, pulcherrimum bacciballum. Sed ego non mehercules corporaliter aut propter res venerias curavi, sed magis quod benemoria fuit.

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

Case Singular Plural
Nominative bacciballum bacciballa
Genitive bacciballī bacciballōrum
Dative bacciballō bacciballīs
Accusative bacciballum bacciballa
Ablative bacciballō bacciballīs
Vocative bacciballum bacciballa
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.