See also: Virga

English edit

 
A virga denoting do.

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Latin virga (rod). Doublet of verge.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

virga (countable and uncountable, plural virgas or virgae)

  1. (music) A type of note used in plainsong notation, having a tail and representing a single tone.
  2. (meteorology, countable) A streak of rain or snow that is dissipated in falling and does not reach the ground, commonly appearing descending from a cloud layer.
    • 2003, Erik Larson, “Pilgrimage”, in The Devil in the White City, Vintage Books, page 78:
      Strong gusts of wind buffeted the train, and ghostly virga of ice followed it through the night.
  3. (measurement, countable) A unit of length: a rod, pole or perch (5½ yards); or a unit of area: a square rod, pole or perch.

Synonyms edit

Translations edit

See also edit

References edit

Anagrams edit

Catalan edit

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

virga f (plural virgues)

  1. (meteorology) virga

Esperanto edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Latin virgō +‎ -a.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): [ˈvirɡa]
  • Audio:
    (file)
  • Rhymes: -irɡa
  • Hyphenation: vir‧ga

Adjective edit

virga (accusative singular virgan, plural virgaj, accusative plural virgajn)

  1. virgin, virginal

Derived terms edit

Estonian edit

Adjective edit

virga

  1. genitive singular of virk

French edit

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

virga f (plural virgas)

  1. (meteorology) virga

Interlingua edit

Etymology edit

Italian verga, French verge, Spanish verga, and Portuguese virga.

Noun edit

virga (plural virgas)

  1. rod
  2. (nautical) yard
  3. (vulgar) dick

Istriot edit

Etymology edit

From Latin virga.

Noun edit

virga f

  1. whip
  2. strap

Latin edit

Etymology edit

From Proto-Italic *wizgā, probably from Proto-Indo-European *wisgeh₂ (flexible rod or stick). Possibly cognate with Proto-Germanic *wiskaz (bundle of hay or straw, wisp).[1] From Proto-Indo-European *weys- (to produce, procreate), or alternatively from a stem *weyḱs- (see *weyḱ-). Regardless, it is probably a doublet of viscum.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

virga f (genitive virgae); first declension

  1. twig, young shoot
  2. rod, switch for flogging.
    • 4th-century CE, Jerome of Stridon (St. Jerome), Vulgate, Proverbs 26:3
      flagellum equō et cāmus asinō et virgā dorsō inprūdentium
      A whip for a horse, and a snaffle for an ass, and a rod for the back of fools.
      (trans.: Douay-Rheims Bible)
  3. staff, walking stick
    • 8 AD . Fasti, Publius Ovidius Naso, Liber II, 703-704.
      Illic Tarquinius mandata latentia nati
      Accipit, et virga lilia summa metit.
      There Tarquinius is receiving secret mandates of the son
      And is knocking down with staff the tops of lilies.
  4. wand (magical)
  5. (figuratively, Late Latin, Medieval Latin) penis
    • ca. 540, Cassiodorus, On the Soul :
      sunt etiam singularia in medio constituta ne in unam partem praeiudicialiter vergentia alteram competenti decore nudarent: nasus, os, guttur, pectus, umbilicus, et genitalium virga descendens, quae laudabilia et honora monstrantur quando in medio locata consistunt.
      These [body parts] are one by one placed in the middle, because if they converged to the same place, one would deprive the honour of another part. The nose, mouth, throat, chest, navel, and the rod of the genitals show their merit and excellence by being placed in the middle.

Declension edit

First-declension noun.

Case Singular Plural
Nominative virga virgae
Genitive virgae virgārum
Dative virgae virgīs
Accusative virgam virgās
Ablative virgā virgīs
Vocative virga virgae

Derived terms edit

Descendants edit

References edit

  1. ^ “verga” in: Alberto Nocentini, Alessandro Parenti, “l'Etimologico — Vocabolario della lingua italiana”, Le Monnier, 2010, →ISBN

Spanish edit

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈbiɾɡa/ [ˈbiɾ.ɣ̞a]
  • Rhymes: -iɾɡa
  • Syllabification: vir‧ga

Adjective edit

virga f sg

  1. feminine singular of virgo