deliciae

Latin

Alternative forms

• dēlicia (exceptional)

Etymology

From the once-attested dēliciō, from dē- +‎ laciō (“I snare, entice”), the base verb of dēlectō.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /deːˈli.ki.ae̯/, [d̪eːˈlʲɪkiäe̯]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /deˈli.t͡ʃi.e/, [d̪eˈliːt͡ʃie]

Noun

dēliciae f pl (genitive dēliciārum); first declension

1. delight, pleasure (an activity which affords enjoyment)

   dēliciās facere

   to enjoy oneself, to have fun (also in erotic sense)

2. luxuries, toys (things serving to please)
   1. decorations, delicacies, erotic verse
   2. charms (pleasing physical attributes)
3. darling, sweetheart, favourite, pet

   in dēliciīs habēre

   to treat as a pet, favourite; to cherish

   in dēliciīs esse

   to be a pet, favourite; to be cherished

   1. (specifically of animals) pet, housepet
4. comforts, luxuries (conditions affording physical or mental ease)
5. elegant, affected manners; airs
   1. mannerisms, whims, niceties
6. gourmet, voluptuary

Usage notes

Used almost exclusively in the plural.

Declension

First-declension noun, plural only.

Case	Plural
Nominative	dēliciae
Genitive	dēliciārum
Dative	dēliciīs
Accusative	dēliciās
Ablative	dēliciīs
Vocative	dēliciae

Derived terms

• delicātus

Descendants

• → Catalan: delícia
• → French: délice
• → Italian: delizia
• → Portuguese: delícia
• → Spanish: delicia
• → Polish: delicja

References

• “dēlicia” on page 559 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (2nd ed., 2012)

Further reading

• “deliciae”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “deliciae”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• deliciae in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • somebody's darling: mel ac deliciae alicuius (Fam. 8. 8. 1)
    
  • somebody's darling: amores et deliciae alicuius