nugae

Latin

Alternative forms

• naugae(archaic)

Etymology

Unknown. Perhaps a borrowing from anotherItaliclanguage, cognate withnux(“nut”)andnaucum(“nutshell, trifle”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin)IPA^(key):/ˈnuː.ɡae̯/,[ˈnuːɡäe̯]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical)IPA^(key):/ˈnu.d͡ʒe/,[ˈnuːd͡ʒe]

Noun

nūgaefpl(genitivenūgārum);first declension

1. jokes,jests
2. trifles
   • c.84BCE– 54BCE,Catullus,Carmina1.3–4:

     Corneli, tibi: namque tu solebas / meas esse aliquid putarenugas

     To you, Cornelius: since you used to regard mytriflesto be something

3. worthlesspeople

Usage notes

• The singularnūgais not used classically, but is attested inNew Latin.

Declension

First-declensionnoun, plural only.

	plural
nominative	nūgae
genitive	nūgārum
dative	nūgīs
accusative	nūgās
ablative	nūgīs
vocative	nūgae

Derived terms

• nūgācitās
• nūgāmenta
• nūgātor
• nūgātōrius
• nūgāx
• nūgidicus
• nūgō
• nūgor
• nūgula

References

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