Philomela

See also: philomela

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Latin Philomela, from Ancient Greek Φιλομήλη (Philomḗlē), from φίλος (phílos, love) +‎ μῆλον (mêlon, apple; fruit; sheep), but folk-etymologized since at least Ovid's time as "lover of song".

Proper noun

Philomela

  1. A female given name.
  2. (Greek mythology) the sister of Procne who is raped and mutilated by her brother-in-law Tereus and supposedly transformed into a bird by the gods.
  3. (literary zoology) The nightingale.

Latin

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Φιλομήλη (Philomḗlē, from φίλος (phílos, love) +‎ μῆλον (mêlon, apple; fruit; sheep)), but folk-etymologized since at least Ovid's time as "lover of song".

Pronunciation

Proper noun

Philomēla f sg (genitive Philomēlae); first declension

  1. a female given name from Ancient Greek
  2. (Greek mythology) the sister of Procne who is raped and mutilated by her brother-in-law Tereus and supposedly transformed into a swallow by the gods.

Declension

First-declension noun, singular only.

singular
nominative Philomēla
genitive Philomēlae
dative Philomēlae
accusative Philomēlam
ablative Philomēlā
vocative Philomēla

Derived terms

References