pulmo
[ˈpʊɫ.moː]
The English word jellyfish is translated into Latin as pulmo.
This term refers to the aquatic animal known as a jellyfish.
Meaning: aquatic animal (noun)
Which one should you use?
The term medusa (plural Medusae) is also used to mean jellyfish, whereas pulmo is the default term provided.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions, the term medusa (plural Medusae) is used as the formal expression for jellyfish.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of medusa is Medusae.
Did you know?
- If you call a jellyfish a pulmo, you are linguistically suggesting it is a 'lung' of the sea.
- The alternative term medusa comes from the Greek myth of the Gorgon whose hair was made of snakes, reflecting the trailing tentacles of the animal.
- The word pulmo is a cognate of the Sanskrit word klóman and the Ancient Greek pleúmōn, both of which also refer to lungs.
Example sentences for Latin are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Marcus and Claudia are walking on a beach.
- MarcusVide, Claudia! Pulmo in harena est.Look, Claudia! There is a jellyfish in the sand.
- ClaudiaIterum! Noli eum tangere, Marce.Again! Do not touch it, Marcus.
- MarcusCur pulmo hic est?Why is the jellyfish here?
- ClaudiaUnda eum ad litus tulit.The wave carried it to the shore.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “jellyfish” translations and entries pulmo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pulmo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
