littera canina

Latin

FWOTD – 3 November 2016

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈlit.te.ra kaˈniː.na/, [ˈlʲɪt̪ːɛrä käˈniːnä]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈlit.te.ra kaˈni.na/, [ˈlit̪ːerä käˈniːnä]

Noun

littera canīna f (genitive litterae canīnae); first declension

1. the letter R (literally dog's letter, after its trilled pronunciation in Latin)
   • c. 62 CE, Persius, Saturae 1.108–110:

     Vide sis ne maiorum tibi forte limina frigescant: sonat hic de nare canina littera.

     Take care the thresholds of the great don’t grow chilly towards you: this is where you’ll hear the snarl of a dog’s rrrr.

Declension

First-declension noun with a first-declension adjective.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	littera canīna	litterae canīnae
Genitive	litterae canīnae	litterārum canīnārum
Dative	litterae canīnae	litterīs canīnīs
Accusative	litteram canīnam	litterās canīnās
Ablative	litterā canīnā	litterīs canīnīs
Vocative	littera canīna	litterae canīnae