vulva

See also: vulvă and Vulva

English

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin vulva, earlier volva (“womb, female sexual organ”), probably from volvō (“to turn, wrap around”). Akin to Sanskrit उल्ब (úlba, “womb”) or English valve, valva and other descendants of the Latin term (evolve, involve, revolve).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvʌlvə/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌlvə

Noun

vulva (plural vulvas or vulvae or vulvæ)

2. (anatomy) The external female genitalia of humans and other placental mammals, which includes the clitoris, labia, and vulval vestibule/vulvar opening.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:vulva

   Hypernym: genitals

   • 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 247:

     The vulvae of the sow were popular as a gourmet's dish. Credited with erotic effects.

   • 1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 22:

     The wedge-shaped character was the triangle, the archaic Paleolithic sign of the vulva; the pubic triangle was at the end of the phallic stylus.

   • 2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: A Natural History, page 216:

     Many of the less-sophisticated works are sexual in nature. Among the most common images are stylised vulvas, whole flocks of which appear on some cave walls.

3. (biology) A protrusion on the side of a nematode.

Usage notes

See usage notes at vagina for the difference between vulva and vagina.

Hypernyms

• genital tubercle (clitoris), urogenital sinus (vulval vestibule), urogenital folds (labia minora), labioscrotal swellings (labia majora) - embryological precursors
• external genitalia

Derived terms

• blue vulva
• multivulva
• vulva dentata
• vulval
• vulvaless
• vulvar
• vulvate
• vulvectomy
• vulvic
• vulviform

Translations

collectively the external female sexual organs

Akkadian: 𒊩𒆷 m (biṣṣūrum) Albanian: vulvë f Amharic: እምስ (am) (äms) Arabic: فَرْج (ar) m (farj), حِرّ (ar) m (ḥirr), فَالْفَا f (fālfā) Aragonese: vulva f Armenian: բունոց (hy) (bunocʻ), ամոթույք (hy) (amotʻuykʻ) Assamese: যোনিদ্বাৰ (züniddar) Aukan: umanpeesi Aymara: chupila Azerbaijani: am Basque: alu Bavarian: Vulva Belarusian: ву́льва f (vúlʹva) Bengali: ভালভা (bn) (bhalbha), যোনি (bn) (jōni) Bikol Central: buray (bcl) Bulgarian: ву́лва f (vúlva) Burmese: ယောနိ (my) (yau:ni.) Caribbean Hindustani: boer, jonie Catalan: vulva (ca) f Cebuano: puki Chamorro: bebe' Chinese: Hokkien: 陰門 / 阴门 (im-mn̂g), 外陰 / 外阴 (gōe-im) Mandarin: 外陰 / 外阴 (zh) (wàiyīn), 陰門 / 阴门 (zh) (yīnmén), 女陰 / 女阴 (zh) (nǚyīn), 陰戶 / 阴户 (zh) (yīnhù) Classical Nahuatl: tepilli, cocoxqui, nenetl Czech: vulva (cs) f Danish: vulva c, tissekone c Dhivehi: ފަރުޖު (faruju) Dinka: mur Dutch: vulva (nl) f Esperanto: vulvo Estonian: häbe (et), vulva (et) Ewe: ɖonu Finnish: häpy (fi), ulkosynnyttimet (fi) pl, vulva (fi) Franco-Provençal: vulva French: vulve (fr) f Friulian: vulve Galician: vulva (gl) f, cona (gl) f, crica (gl) f, natura (gl) f Georgian: ვულვა (vulva) German: Vulva (de) f, Scham (de) f Alemannic German: Vulva Greek: αιδοίο (el) n (aidoío) Ancient Greek: αἰδοῖον n (aidoîon), δορίαλλος m (doríallos), σάραβος m (sárabos) Greenlandic: utsuit, utsuut pl Gujarati: યોનિ f (yoni) Hebrew: פות / פֹּת (he) (pot) Hindi: योनि (hi) f (yoni), योनी (hi) f (yonī), भग (hi) m (bhag) Hungarian: szeméremtest (hu) Icelandic: píka (is) f, kvensköp n pl, sköp (is) n pl Ido: vulvo (io) Ingrian: vittu (vulgar), präski (vulgar) Inupiaq: utchuk Irish: pit f Italian: vulva (it) f Japanese: 陰門 (ja) (いんもん, inmon) Kamba: kinu Kannada: ಯೋನಿ (kn) (yōni) Kari'na: mone, tùwi Kazakh: сарпай (sarpai), ам (am) Khmer: យោនី (km) (younii) Kikuyu: kino, kitu Korean: 보지 (ko) (boji), 씹 (ko) (ssip), 외음부 (oeeumbu), 음문(陰門) (ko) (eummun) Kurdish: Central Kurdish: کوز (kuz) Northern Kurdish: quz (ku) m Kyrgyz: ам (am) Lao: ໂຍນີ (nyō nī), ຫີ (hī) Latin: muliebria n pl, pudenda n pl, vāgīna f; vulva f (chiefly medieval); cunnus (la) m (vulgar) Latvian: vulva f Lithuanian: putė f Lombard: trifola (lmo) Macedonian: сра́мница f (srámnica), ву́лва f (vúlva) Malagasy: fala (mg) Malay: vulva (ms) Malayalam: യോനി (ml) (yōni) Maltese: vulva f Manchu: ᡶᡝᡶᡝ (fefe) Maori: teke, puapua, toke (mi) Marathi: उल्वा f (ulvā), बाह्य जननेंद्रिय ? (bāhya jannendriy), अपत्यपथ ? (apatyapath), जन्मपथ ? (janmapath), गभ ? (gabh), कन्दर्पकूप ? (kandarpakūp), जघन ? (jaghan), योनी ? (yonī) Marshallese: bōļbōļ, bōlōk Middle English: quoniam Nahuatl: tepilli, nenetl (nah) Navajo: atsxil Neapolitan: vùlv Nepali: योनी (ne) (yonī) Norwegian: vulva ? Ojibwe: (my vulva) nikidin Old English: mæġeþblæd n Old Norse: gás f Ottoman Turkish: آم (am), فرج (ferc) Palauan: but, oldaol, uuk Paraguayan Guarani: (please verify) tapypi Pashto: پنډ (ps) Persian: فرج (fa) (farj), کس (fa) f (kos) (vulgar) Piedmontese: ciòrgna Polish: srom (pl) m Portuguese: vulva (pt) f Punjabi: ਯੋਨੀ (pa) ? (yonī), ਭਗ (bhag) Quechua: rak'a Romanian: vulvă (ro) f Russian: ву́льва (ru) f (vúlʹva), нару́жные же́нские половы́е о́рганы m pl (narúžnyje žénskije polovýje órgany) Sami: Northern Sami: heahpu Sanskrit: योनि (sa) f (yoni), भग (sa) m (bhaga) Saramaccan: kú Scottish Gaelic: pit f Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: сти̑дница f Roman: stȋdnica (sh) f, vȕlva (sh) f Sherpa: རྐུབ། (rkub) Shona: sikarudzi Sicilian: vulva f Sinhalese: යෝනි ? (yōni) Slovak: vulva (sk) f Slovene: vulva f Sotho: botshehadi (st) Spanish: vulva (es) f, cashpeta f (vulgar, El Salvador), pishura f (euphemism, Peru), crica (es) f Sranan Tongo: umapresi Sumerian: 𒊩𒆷 (gala) Sundanese: ᮠᮩᮔ᮪ᮎᮩᮒ᮪ (heunceut) Swahili: uke (sw) class 14, kuma (sw) class 9 Swedish: blygd (sv) c, vulva (sv) c Tagalog: bulba, pekpek, kiki, puwerta Tajik: фарҷ (farj) Tamil: யோனி (ta) (yōṉi), கருவாய் (ta) (karuvāy) Taos: kə́na Tarifit: iyenšišen m pl Telugu: యోని (te) (yōni) Tetum: hu'in Thai: โยนี (th) (yoo-nii), ช่องคลอด (th) (chɔ̂ng-klɔ̂ɔt), หี (th) (hǐi) Tibetan: སྟུ། (stu) Tok Pisin: rot bilong karim pikinini Tswana: bosadi Turkish: am (tr), vulva (tr) Turkmen: am Udmurt: кызян (kyźan) Ukrainian: ву́льва f (vúlʹva) Uzbek: am Venetan: potìfa, pòta, móna, marùgola, frìtola, fìga Vietnamese: âm hộ (vi) (陰戶), lồn (vi), bướm (vi), nữ căn (女根) Vilamovian: pić f Volapük: kunud Welsh: fwlfa Wolof: bajo Yámana: wahar Yiddish: וווּלווע f (vulve), שפּיל f or n (shpil) (colloquially, slang) Zazaki: kıs (diq) Zulu: inhlunu

Further reading

• vulva on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Dutch

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin vulva.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvʏl.vaː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: vul‧va

Noun

vulva f (plural vulvas or vulvae, no diminutive)

1. vulva

   Synonyms: kut, miemel, schaamspleet, voorbips

Derived terms

• vulvitis

See also

• vagina (in specialist language the same sense as English vagina, but in colloquial language synonymous with vulva)

Finnish

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin vulva.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʋulʋɑ/, [ˈʋulʋɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ulʋɑ
• Syllabification^(key): vul‧va
• Hyphenation^(key): vul‧va

Noun

vulva

1. (anatomy) vulva

   Synonym: häpy

Declension

Inflection of vulva (Kotus type 10/koira, no gradation)
nominative		vulva	vulvat
genitive		vulvan	vulvien
partitive		vulvaa	vulvia
illative		vulvaan	vulviin
		singular	plural
nominative		vulva	vulvat
accusative	nom.	vulva	vulvat
	gen.	vulvan
genitive		vulvan	vulvien vulvain rare
partitive		vulvaa	vulvia
inessive		vulvassa	vulvissa
elative		vulvasta	vulvista
illative		vulvaan	vulviin
adessive		vulvalla	vulvilla
ablative		vulvalta	vulvilta
allative		vulvalle	vulville
essive		vulvana	vulvina
translative		vulvaksi	vulviksi
abessive		vulvatta	vulvitta
instructive		—	vulvin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of vulva (Kotus type 10/koira, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative vulvani vulvani accusative nom. vulvani vulvani gen. vulvani genitive vulvani vulvieni vulvaini rare partitive vulvaani vulviani inessive vulvassani vulvissani elative vulvastani vulvistani illative vulvaani vulviini adessive vulvallani vulvillani ablative vulvaltani vulviltani allative vulvalleni vulvilleni essive vulvanani vulvinani translative vulvakseni vulvikseni abessive vulvattani vulvittani instructive — — comitative — vulvineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative vulvasi vulvasi accusative nom. vulvasi vulvasi gen. vulvasi genitive vulvasi vulviesi vulvaisi rare partitive vulvaasi vulviasi inessive vulvassasi vulvissasi elative vulvastasi vulvistasi illative vulvaasi vulviisi adessive vulvallasi vulvillasi ablative vulvaltasi vulviltasi allative vulvallesi vulvillesi essive vulvanasi vulvinasi translative vulvaksesi vulviksesi abessive vulvattasi vulvittasi instructive — — comitative — vulvinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative vulvamme vulvamme accusative nom. vulvamme vulvamme gen. vulvamme genitive vulvamme vulviemme vulvaimme rare partitive vulvaamme vulviamme inessive vulvassamme vulvissamme elative vulvastamme vulvistamme illative vulvaamme vulviimme adessive vulvallamme vulvillamme ablative vulvaltamme vulviltamme allative vulvallemme vulvillemme essive vulvanamme vulvinamme translative vulvaksemme vulviksemme abessive vulvattamme vulvittamme instructive — — comitative — vulvinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative vulvanne vulvanne accusative nom. vulvanne vulvanne gen. vulvanne genitive vulvanne vulvienne vulvainne rare partitive vulvaanne vulvianne inessive vulvassanne vulvissanne elative vulvastanne vulvistanne illative vulvaanne vulviinne adessive vulvallanne vulvillanne ablative vulvaltanne vulviltanne allative vulvallenne vulvillenne essive vulvananne vulvinanne translative vulvaksenne vulviksenne abessive vulvattanne vulvittanne instructive — — comitative — vulvinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative vulvansa vulvansa accusative nom. vulvansa vulvansa gen. vulvansa genitive vulvansa vulviensa vulvainsa rare partitive vulvaansa vulviaan vulviansa inessive vulvassaan vulvassansa vulvissaan vulvissansa elative vulvastaan vulvastansa vulvistaan vulvistansa illative vulvaansa vulviinsa adessive vulvallaan vulvallansa vulvillaan vulvillansa ablative vulvaltaan vulvaltansa vulviltaan vulviltansa allative vulvalleen vulvallensa vulvilleen vulvillensa essive vulvanaan vulvanansa vulvinaan vulvinansa translative vulvakseen vulvaksensa vulvikseen vulviksensa abessive vulvattaan vulvattansa vulvittaan vulvittansa instructive — — comitative — vulvineen vulvinensa

Further reading

• “vulva”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 4 July 2023

Galician

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin vulva.

Noun

vulva f (plural vulvas)

1. vulva

Interlingua

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vulva, Italian vulva, English vulva, Spanish vulva, Portuguese vulva, French vulve.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvul.va/

Noun

vulva (plural vulvas)

1. vulva

Coordinate terms

• vagina

Italian

Italian Wikipedia has an article on:

vulva

Wikipedia ^it

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin vulva, from earlier volva, from the Proto-Indo-European root *welH- (“to turn, wind”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvul.va/
• Rhymes: -ulva
• Hyphenation: vùl‧va

Noun

vulva f (plural vulve)

1. (anatomy) the external female genitalia; vulva
2. (by extension, slang, humorous) vagina

Derived terms

• vulvare
• vulvovaginale
• vulvovaginite

See also

• clitoride
• grandi labbra
• piccole labbra
• vagina

Latin

Alternative forms

• volva, vulba, bulba

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *welH- (“to turn, wind”). Cognates include Sanskrit उल्ब (ulba).

Compare typologically vīscus (possibly from Proto-Indo-European *weys-).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈwʊɫ.wa]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈvul.va]

Noun

vulva f (genitive vulvae); first declension

1. (anatomy) the womb

   Synonyms: mātrīx, uterus

   • 20 BCE – 14 BCE, Horace, Epistles I.XV:

     Nīl melius turdō, nīl vulvā pulchrius amplā.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. (anatomy, chiefly Medieval Latin) the vagina (the external orifice of the female reproductive tract)

   Synonyms: (euphemistic) vāgīna, (vulgar) cunnus, (medieval) valva

   Holonyms: verētrum, muliebria, pudenda, verenda, genitālia, partēs, membra, nātūra

Usage notes

• Unlike its English descendant, refers to the vagina (the internal tract) and not to the vulva (the external genitals), even medievally.

Declension

First-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	vulva	vulvae
genitive	vulvae	vulvārum
dative	vulvae	vulvīs
accusative	vulvam	vulvās
ablative	vulvā	vulvīs
vocative	vulva	vulvae

Derived terms

• vulvula, volvula

Further reading

• “uulua” on page 2341 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (2nd ed., 2012)
• “vulva”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “vulva”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Portuguese

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin vulva, from earlier volva, from Proto-Indo-European *welH- (“to turn, wind”).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈvuw.vɐ/ [ˈvuʊ̯.vɐ]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈvuw.vɐ/ [ˈvuʊ̯.vɐ]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈvuw.va/ [ˈvuʊ̯.va]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈvul.vɐ/ [ˈvuɫ.vɐ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈvul.vɐ/ [ˈvuɫ.vɐ]
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈbul.bɐ/ [ˈbuɫ.βɐ]

• Hyphenation: vul‧va

Noun

vulva f (plural vulvas)

1. (anatomy) vulva (the external female sexual organs)

   Synonym: (vulgar) cona

Further reading

• “vulva”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2025

Spanish

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin vulva, from earlier volva, from Proto-Indo-European *welH- (“to turn, wind”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbulba/ [ˈbul.β̞a]

• Audio (Venezuela):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ulba
• Syllabification: vul‧va

Noun

vulva f (plural vulvas)

1. (anatomy) vulva (the external female sexual organs)

Derived terms

• vulvar

Further reading

• “vulva”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024

Swedish

Swedish Wikipedia has an article on:

vulva

Wikipedia ^sv

Noun

vulva c

1. (anatomy) vulva (the external female sex organs)

   Synonyms: blygd, underliv

Declension

Declension of vulva

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	vulva	vulvas
	definite	vulvan	vulvans
plural	indefinite	vulvor	vulvors
	definite	vulvorna	vulvornas

See also

• blygdläppar (“labia”)
• urinrör (“urethra”)
• vagina

References

• vulva in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• vulva in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• vulva in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
• Svensk MeSH
• Fula Ordboken