nympha

English

Etymology

From Latin nympha, from Ancient Greek νύμφη (númphē, “bride, nymph”). Doublet of nymph.

Pronunciation

• (UK, General American) IPA^(key): /ˈnɪmfə/
• Rhymes: -ɪmfə

Noun

nympha (plural nymphae)

1. (entomology) A nymph.
2. (anatomy, now rare) Each of the labia minora.
3. Each of a pair of processes in certain bivalves, to which the ends of the external ligament are attached.

Derived terms

• nymphitis

Translations

labium minus — see also labium minus

Spanish: ninfa (es) f

Interlingua

Noun

nympha (plural nymphas)

1. nymph

Latin

Alternative forms

• nymphē

Etymology

Derived from Ancient Greek νύμφη (númphē, “bride, nymph”). Compare with Latin lympha.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈnym.pʰa]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈnim.fa]

Noun

nympha f (genitive nymphae); first declension

1. bride, mistress
2. young woman
3. (Greek mythology) nymph (mythical demigoddess)
   • c. 84 BCE – 54 BCE, Catullus, Carmina 88:

     Suscipit, o Gelli, quantum non ultima Tethys nec genitor nympharum abluit Oceanus

     He undertakes, O Gellius, so much as neither furthest Tethys nor Oceanus, father of nymphs, can cleanse

4. pupa or nymph of an insect

Declension

First-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	nympha	nymphae
genitive	nymphae	nymphārum
dative	nymphae	nymphīs
accusative	nympham	nymphās
ablative	nymphā	nymphīs
vocative	nympha	nymphae

Hyponyms

• nympha marīna (“mermaid”)

Derived terms

• nymphālis
• nymphigena

Related terms

• nymphaea
• nymphēum

Descendants

• Asturian: ninfa
• Catalan: nimfa
• Old French: nimphe
  • French: nymphe
  • → Middle Dutch: nymphe
    • Dutch: nimf
  • → Middle English: nimphe, nymphe, nemphe
    • English: nymph
• Italian: ninfa
• Portuguese: ninfa
• Romanian: nimfă
• Sicilian: ninfa
• Spanish: ninfa
• Welsh: nymff

References

• “nympha”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “nympha”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “nympha”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.