ientāculum
neuter
The English word breakfast is translated into Latin as ientāculum. Wiktionary also lists prandium.
Meaning: first meal of the day (noun)
Ways to say it
| Latin | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ientāculum | neuter | |
| prandium | [ˈpran.di.ũː] (Classical Latin, narrow) [ˈpran.di.um] (narrow) |
neuter |
The term is used to refer to the first meal of the day. If you wish to express the action of eating the morning meal, you can use the verb ientō.
Which one should you use?
While ientāculum refers specifically to breakfast, prandium is the term used for the midday meal or lunch.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Both prandium and ientāculum are neuter nouns.
Did you know?
- In the Roman world, prandium was often eaten standing up and was consumed quickly.
- The word for lunch, prandium, might actually be a linguistic cousin to the English word 'first' through the Proto-Indo-European root for 'first meal'.
- While ientāculum is the standard word for breakfast, the Romans often viewed this meal as a light snack rather than a substantial feast.
Examples in context
- Ientaculum, prandium, aut cenam?Breakfast, lunch, or dinner?This sentence is useful for distinguishing between the different daily meals using prandium.Tatoeba #11654069 by carlosalberto, translation #11653982 by carlosalberto
- Magister jentaculum apud Claudiam consumpsit.The teacher had breakfast at Claudia's place.
- Ientāculum in mensā est.Breakfast is on the table.
Example conversation
A morning in a simple Roman house.
- LuciaQuinte, ubi est ientāculum?Quintus, where is breakfast?
- QuintusIentāculum hic est, Lucia.Breakfast is here, Lucia.
- LuciaGratias tibi ago.Thank you.
- QuintusLibenter, mea uxor.You're welcome, my wife.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “breakfast” translations and entries prandium, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries prandium, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
