gavia

See also: Gavia

Latin

Etymology

Perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *gʰabʰl- (“fork, branch of tree”) due to the similarity of a hawk's claws to a pitchfork; compare Old High German gabila, gabala (“sparrow hawk”).

Pronunciation

Noun

gāvia f (genitive gāviae); first declension

  1. a kind of bird

Usage notes

The identity of the gāvia in Classical Latin is uncertain, possibly the seagull. Modern taxonomic Latin applies the term gāvia to the loon (diver), but Classical Latin called this bird mergus.

Inflection

First declension.

Case Singular Plural
Nominative gāvia gāviae
Genitive gāviae gāviārum
Dative gāviae gāviīs
Accusative gāviam gāviās
Ablative gāviā gāviīs
Vocative gāvia gāviae

Descendants
  • Galician: gaivota (“gull”), gueivota (“gull”)
  • Italian: gabbiano (“gull”)
  • Maltese: gawwija (“gull”)
  • Portuguese: gavião (“hawk”), gaivota (“gull”)
  • Romanian: gaie (“kite”)
  • Spanish: gaviota (“gull”), avión (“swallow”)
  • Translingual: Gavia (“loon, diver”)

References
  • gavia in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • gavia in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette

Spanish

Noun

gavia f (plural gavias)

  1. (nautical) topsail
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