Pompeiī
masculine
Pompeiī is the Latin name for the historical city of Pompeii.
Meaning: a historical city (name)
Which one should you use?
Pompeiī is the singular form, while Pompeiis is the plural form.
How does it change in a sentence?
Pompeiī is a masculine noun. The plural form of Pompeiī is Pompeiis.
Did you know?
- In Latin, the name Pompeiī is a genitive form, which implies the city was originally named 'of Pompeius'. This suggests the town was likely named after a member of the powerful Pompeius family long before the eruption of Vesuvius.
- In the Latin of the Roman Empire, the name Pompeiī would have been pronounced with a diphthong, sounding more like 'Pom-pay-ee' than the modern Italian or English versions.
- Because Latin lacked a lowercase alphabet, Pompeiī would have appeared in inscriptions as POMPEII, removing the visual distinction between the noun and its possessive form.
Examples in context
- Historia Pompeiī est tristis.The history of Pompeii is sad.
- In Pompeiī multae ruinae sunt.In Pompeii there are many ruins.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their travel plans.
- ClaudiaQuo ibis, Quite?Where are you going, Quintus?
- QuintusHodie ad Pompeiī eo.Today I am going to Pompeii.
- ClaudiaEstne Pompeiī pulchra?Is Pompeii beautiful?
- QuintusIta, urbs illa optima est.Yes, that city is excellent.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pompeii” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
