bulla
Uncertain; possibly from Gaulish [Term?], from Proto-Indo-European *bew- “swelling”, same source as Middle Dutch puyl (“bag”) and Lithuanian bule (“buttocks”), or from *bʰel- (“to blow, inflate, swell”).Ultimately onomatopoeic.
Pronunciation
- (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ˈbʊl.la]
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [ˈbul.la]
Noun
bulla f (genitive bullae); first declension
- a bubble
- a swollen or bubble-shaped object, particularly:
- a knob, boss, or stud, as on doors, shields, etc.
- (historical) a bulla: a protective (usually golden) amulet worn by upper-class Roman children
- (Medieval Latin, historical) a round metallic seal certifying official medieval documents, particularly the golden imperial seal and the leaden papal one.
- (Medieval Latin) a papal bull or other official document sealed with a bulla
Declension
First-declension noun.
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | bulla | bullae |
| genitive | bullae | bullārum |
| dative | bullae | bullīs |
| accusative | bullam | bullās |
| ablative | bullā | bullīs |
| vocative | bulla | bullae |