Via Lactea

See also: Vía Láctea and Via Láctea

Latin

Etymology

From via (“road, way”) +‎ lactea (the feminine form of lacteus (“milky”)). Calque of Ancient Greek γαλαξίας (κύκλος) (galaxías (kúklos)).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈu̯i.a ˈlak.te.a/, [ˈu̯iä ˈɫ̪äkt̪eä]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈvi.a ˈlak.te.a/, [ˈviːä ˈläkt̪eä]

Proper noun

Via Lactea f sg (genitive Viae Lacteae); first declension

1. the Milky Way

Declension

First-declension noun with a first-declension adjective, with locative, singular only.

	singular
nominative	Via Lactea
genitive	Viae Lacteae
dative	Viae Lacteae
accusative	Viam Lacteam
ablative	Viā Lacteā
vocative	Via Lactea
locative	Viae Lacteae

Descendants

• French: Voie lactée, voie lactée
• Galician: Vía Láctea
• Italian: Via Lattea
• Portuguese: Via Láctea
• Spanish: Vía Láctea
• → Middle English: Milky Wey (calque)
  • English: Milky Way