delphin

See also: Delphin

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Latin delphinus (a dolphin) +‎ -in.

Noun

delphin (plural delphins)

  1. Obsolete spelling of dolphin (animal)
    • 1896, The New York Polyclinic, volumes 7-8, page 193:
      DELPHIN OIL IN THE TREATMENT OF ACNE. — Dr. Bæck (Annales de Dermatologie) says that delphin oil inhibits the growth of bacteria in the skin []

Latin

Etymology

Unassimilated borrowing of Ancient Greek δελφίν (delphín). See delphīnus.

Pronunciation

Noun

delphīn m (genitive delphīnis); third declension

  1. alternative form of delphīnus (dolphin)
  2. Delphinus the Dolphin (constellation)
    • 8 CE, Ovid, Fasti 6.471–472:
      nāvita puppe sedēns ‘Delphīna vidēbimus,’ inquit
      ‘hūmida cum pulsō nox erit orta diē.’
      [...] the sailor, sitting in the stern, says: “We shall see the Dolphin, when the humid night shall have risen, having driven out the day.”
      (See: Delphinus.)

Declension

Third-declension noun (Greek-type, normal variant or non-Greek-type).

singular plural
nominative delphīn delphīnes
delphīnēs
genitive delphīnos
delphīnis
delphīnum
dative delphīnī delphīnibus
accusative delphīna
delphīnem
delphīnas
delphīnēs
ablative delphīne delphīnibus
vocative delphīn delphīnes
delphīnēs

In Classical Latin, Greek endings were used in the nominative and accusative cases. The genitive singular, dative singular and dative/ablative plural are not attested.

References

  • delphinus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • delphin”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Middle English

Noun

delphin

  1. alternative form of delphyn