pullus
[ˈpʊl.lʊs]masculine
In Latin, the word for chicken is pullus. Wiktionary also lists gallus and gallina.
Meaning: bird (noun)
Ways to say it
| Latin | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| pullus | [ˈpʊl.lʊs] (Classical Latin, narrow) [ˈpul.lus] (narrow) |
masculine |
| gallus | [ˈɡal.lʊs] (Classical Latin, narrow) [ˈɡal.lus] (narrow) |
masculine |
| gallina | [ɡalˈliː.na] (Classical Latin, narrow) [ɡalˈliː.na] (narrow) |
feminine |
The Latin terms for chicken vary depending on whether you are referring to the age or the sex of the bird.
Which one should you use?
The term pullus specifically refers to a young bird or a chick. In contrast, gallus and gallina are used to refer to the adult species. Within the adult forms, the masculine gallus is often used to mean a rooster, while the feminine gallina specifically refers to a hen.
How does it change in a sentence?
The forms provided are pullus (masculine), gallus (masculine) and gallina (feminine).
Examples in context
- Pullus pipit 'pi pi'The chicken clucks 'cluck cluck'.The sentence is useful for hearing the sound a pullus makes.Tatoeba #7137589 by jimkillock, translation #7137591 by jimkillock
- Scio te gallinam non amare.I know you don't like chicken.The sentence is useful for expressing a dislike of the food gallina.Tatoeba #14014786 by Vortarulo, translation #8041336 by OsoHombre
- Bubula carior est gallinacea.Beef is more expensive than chicken.The sentence is useful for comparing the price of beef to gallinacea (chicken).Tatoeba #5031082 by alexmarcelo, translation #4493867 by CK
- Ubi est pullus?Where is the chick?
- Pullos multos comedimus.We eat many chickens.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucius and Claudia are looking at birds in a farmyard.
- LuciusVide, Claudia, pullus parvus currit!Look, Claudia, a little chicken is running!
- ClaudiaIta, Luci, pullus est lepidus.Yes, Lucius, the chicken is cute.
- LuciusUbi est mater pulli?Where is the chicken's mother?
- ClaudiaGallina ibi sub arbore est.The hen is there under the tree.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chicken” translations and entries pullus, gallus, gallina, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
