volucra

Latin

Etymology

From volvō (“I roll”). Compare convolvulus, involvulus. Sen 2015 considers its development to be connected to that of volucer (“flying, winged”).^[1]

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /u̯oˈluː.kra/, [u̯ɔˈɫ̪uːkrä] or IPA^(key): /ˈu̯o.lu.kra/, [ˈu̯ɔɫ̪ʊkrä]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /voˈlu.kra/, [voˈluːkrä] or IPA^(key): /ˈvo.lu.kra/, [ˈvɔːlukrä]
Short u is given by De Vaan and seems to be implied by Sen's explanation of the etymology.^[1]^[2]

Noun

volū̆cra f (genitive volū̆crae); first declension

A kind of worm or caterpillar that wraps itself up in vine-leaves
- 4 CE – c. 70 CE, Columella, De Arboribus 15.1.Genus est animalis, volucra appellatur; id fere praerodit teneros adhuc pampinos et uvas.

Declension

First-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	volū̆cra	volū̆crae
Genitive	volū̆crae	volū̆crārum
Dative	volū̆crae	volū̆crīs
Accusative	volū̆cram	volū̆crās
Ablative	volū̆crā	volū̆crīs
Vocative	volū̆cra	volū̆crae

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Sen, Ranjan (2015) Syllable and Segment in Latin, Oxford University Press, pages 107, 116
^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “volvō, -ere”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 690: “Short -u- appears to be preserved in volucra / -is with its specialized meaning 'caterpillar' < *'wrapping itself up'.”