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
- (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 |