retina

See also: Retina, retinä, and retiña

English

Illustration showing parts of the human eye, including the retina.

Etymology

From Middle English rethina, borrowing from Medieval Latin rētīna (“retina”, feminine noun), ellipsis of tunica rētīna (“net-like tunic”), used to describe the blood vessel system at the back of the eye. The phrase is attested in the 12th century in Guillelmus the abbot and Gerard of Cremona—the latter may have created this phrase as a translation for Arabic طَبَقَة شَبَكِيَّة (ṭabaqa šabakiyya) "net-like layer", which translates Ancient Greek ἀμφιβληστροειδής χῐτών (amphiblēstroeidḗs khĭtṓn, “retina”), which is attested in the ancient medical writer Galen.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɛt.ɪ.nə/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɛt.ə.nə/, /ˈɹɛt.nə/
• Rhymes: -ɛtɪnə

Noun

retina (plural retinas or retinae or (archaic) retinæ)

2. (ophthalmology) The thin layer of cells at the back of the eyeball that contains rods and cones sensitive to light, which trigger nerve impulses that pass via the optic nerve to the brain, where a visual image is formed.

Derived terms

• calretinin
• detached retina
• ectoretina
• hemiretina
• neuroretina
• retinal
• retinectomy
• retinex
• retinitis
• retinization
• retinize
• retinoic
• retinoid
• retinol
• retino-, retin-
• retinotomy

Related terms

• retineum
• retinula

Translations

thin layer of cells at the back of the eyeball

• Arabic: شَبَكِيَّة عَيْن f (šabakiyyat ʕayn), شَبَكِيَّة f (šabakiyya)
• Armenian: ցանցաթաղանթ (hy) (cʻancʻatʻaġantʻ)
• Belarusian: сятча́тка f (sjatčátka)
• Bengali: রেটিনা (bn) (reṭina)
• Bulgarian: рети́на f (retína)
• Burmese: မြင်လွှာ (mranghlwa)
• Catalan: retina (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 視網膜 / 视网膜 (zh) (shìwǎngmó); 網膜 / 网膜 (zh) (wǎngmó)

• Czech: sítnice (cs) f
• Danish: nethinde (da) c
• Dutch: netvlies (nl) n, retina (nl) (formal)
• Esperanto: retino
• Estonian: võrkkest
• Finnish: verkkokalvo (fi), retina (fi)
• French: rétine (fr) f
• German: Netzhaut (de) f, Retina (de) f
• Greek: αμφιβληστροειδής (el) m (amfivlistroeidís)
• Hebrew: רִשְׁתִּית (he) (rishtít)
• Hindi: रेटिना (reṭinā)
• Hungarian: retina (hu), recehártya (hu)
• Indonesian: retina (id)
• Irish: reitine f
• Italian: retina (it) f
• Japanese: 網膜 (ja) (もうまく, mōmaku)
• Khmer: ចិត្របដ (cetraʔbat), រ៉េទីន (reetiin)
• Korean: 망막(網膜) (ko) (mangmak)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: tore (ku) f

• Lao: ຈັກຂຸປະສາດ (chak khu pa sāt)
• Latvian: tīklene f
• Lithuanian: tinklainė f
• Macedonian: мре́жница (mk) f (mréžnica)
• Malay: retina (ms)
• Māori: āhuahua, mata tuaroa
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: netthinne (no) m or f

  Nynorsk: netthinne f

• Persian: شبکیه (fa) (šabakiyye)
• Plautdietsch: Uagennat n
• Polish: siatkówka (pl) f
• Portuguese: retina (pt) f
• Romanian: retină (ro) f
• Russian: сетча́тка (ru) f (setčátka), рети́на (ru) f (retína)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: ретина f, мрежница f, мрежњача f

  Latin: retina (sh), mrežnica (sh) f, mrežnjača f

• Slovak: sietnica f
• Slovene: mrežnica (sl) f
• Spanish: retina (es) f
• Swedish: näthinna (sv) c, retina (sv) c (formal)
• Tagalog: busilig
• Thai: จอตา (jor-dtaa)
• Turkish: ağ kat (tr), ağ tabaka (tr)
• Ukrainian: сіткі́вка f (sitkívka), рети́на f (retýna)
• Urdu: شبکیہ (ur), ریٹنا (reṭinā)
• Vietnamese: võng mạc (vi), màng lưới
• Volapük: retin (vo)
• Welsh: retina (cy) m

References

• “retina”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “retina”, in Merriam-Webster.com Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

Anagrams

• Reitan, atrine, ratiné, retain, tanier, tearin', tin ear

Catalan

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin retina.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern, Balearic, Central) [rəˈti.nə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia, Northwestern) [reˈti.na]

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

Noun

retina f (plural retines)

1. retina

Related terms

• retinacle
• retinal
• retinitis
• retinosi
• retínula

Further reading

• “retina”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007

Dutch

Etymology

From Medieval Latin rētina, the diminutive form of Latin rēte (“net”), probably from Vulgar Latin tunica retina (literally “net-like tunic”), used to describe the blood vessel system at the back of the eye.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: re‧ti‧na

Noun

retina f or m (plural retina's, diminutive retinaatje n)

1. retina

   Synonym: netvlies

Descendants

• → Indonesian: retina

Anagrams

• traine

Finnish

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin retina.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈretinɑ/, [ˈre̞t̪inɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -etinɑ
• Syllabification^(key): re‧ti‧na
• Hyphenation^(key): re‧ti‧na

Noun

retina

1. synonym of verkkokalvo (“retina”)

Declension

Inflection of retina (Kotus type 13/katiska, no gradation)
nominative		retina	retinat
genitive		retinan	retinoiden retinoitten retinojen
partitive		retinaa	retinoita retinoja
illative		retinaan	retinoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		retina	retinat
accusative	nom.	retina	retinat
	gen.	retinan
genitive		retinan	retinoiden retinoitten retinojen retinain rare
partitive		retinaa	retinoita retinoja
inessive		retinassa	retinoissa
elative		retinasta	retinoista
illative		retinaan	retinoihin
adessive		retinalla	retinoilla
ablative		retinalta	retinoilta
allative		retinalle	retinoille
essive		retinana	retinoina
translative		retinaksi	retinoiksi
abessive		retinatta	retinoitta
instructive		—	retinoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of retina (Kotus type 13/katiska, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative retinani retinani accusative nom. retinani retinani gen. retinani genitive retinani retinoideni retinoitteni retinojeni retinaini rare partitive retinaani retinoitani retinojani inessive retinassani retinoissani elative retinastani retinoistani illative retinaani retinoihini adessive retinallani retinoillani ablative retinaltani retinoiltani allative retinalleni retinoilleni essive retinanani retinoinani translative retinakseni retinoikseni abessive retinattani retinoittani instructive — — comitative — retinoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative retinasi retinasi accusative nom. retinasi retinasi gen. retinasi genitive retinasi retinoidesi retinoittesi retinojesi retinaisi rare partitive retinaasi retinoitasi retinojasi inessive retinassasi retinoissasi elative retinastasi retinoistasi illative retinaasi retinoihisi adessive retinallasi retinoillasi ablative retinaltasi retinoiltasi allative retinallesi retinoillesi essive retinanasi retinoinasi translative retinaksesi retinoiksesi abessive retinattasi retinoittasi instructive — — comitative — retinoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative retinamme retinamme accusative nom. retinamme retinamme gen. retinamme genitive retinamme retinoidemme retinoittemme retinojemme retinaimme rare partitive retinaamme retinoitamme retinojamme inessive retinassamme retinoissamme elative retinastamme retinoistamme illative retinaamme retinoihimme adessive retinallamme retinoillamme ablative retinaltamme retinoiltamme allative retinallemme retinoillemme essive retinanamme retinoinamme translative retinaksemme retinoiksemme abessive retinattamme retinoittamme instructive — — comitative — retinoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative retinanne retinanne accusative nom. retinanne retinanne gen. retinanne genitive retinanne retinoidenne retinoittenne retinojenne retinainne rare partitive retinaanne retinoitanne retinojanne inessive retinassanne retinoissanne elative retinastanne retinoistanne illative retinaanne retinoihinne adessive retinallanne retinoillanne ablative retinaltanne retinoiltanne allative retinallenne retinoillenne essive retinananne retinoinanne translative retinaksenne retinoiksenne abessive retinattanne retinoittanne instructive — — comitative — retinoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative retinansa retinansa accusative nom. retinansa retinansa gen. retinansa genitive retinansa retinoidensa retinoittensa retinojensa retinainsa rare partitive retinaansa retinoitaan retinojaan retinoitansa retinojansa inessive retinassaan retinassansa retinoissaan retinoissansa elative retinastaan retinastansa retinoistaan retinoistansa illative retinaansa retinoihinsa adessive retinallaan retinallansa retinoillaan retinoillansa ablative retinaltaan retinaltansa retinoiltaan retinoiltansa allative retinalleen retinallensa retinoilleen retinoillensa essive retinanaan retinanansa retinoinaan retinoinansa translative retinakseen retinaksensa retinoikseen retinoiksensa abessive retinattaan retinattansa retinoittaan retinoittansa instructive — — comitative — retinoineen retinoinensa

Further reading

• “retina”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[2] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 3 July 2023

Anagrams

• arenti, aterin, tieran

Hungarian

Etymology

From Late Latin rētina, the diminutive form of Latin rēte (“net”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈrɛtinɒ]
• Hyphenation: re‧ti‧na
• Rhymes: -nɒ

Noun

retina (plural retinák)

1. (anatomy) retina (the thin layer of cells at the back of the eyeball where light is converted into neural signals sent to the brain)

Declension

Inflection (stem in long/high vowel, back harmony)

	singular	plural
nominative	retina	retinák
accusative	retinát	retinákat
dative	retinának	retináknak
instrumental	retinával	retinákkal
causal-final	retináért	retinákért
translative	retinává	retinákká
terminative	retináig	retinákig
essive-formal	retinaként	retinákként
essive-modal	retinául	—
inessive	retinában	retinákban
superessive	retinán	retinákon
adessive	retinánál	retináknál
illative	retinába	retinákba
sublative	retinára	retinákra
allative	retinához	retinákhoz
elative	retinából	retinákból
delative	retináról	retinákról
ablative	retinától	retináktól
non-attributive possessive – singular	retináé	retináké
non-attributive possessive – plural	retináéi	retinákéi

Possessive forms of retina

possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	retinám	retináim
2nd person sing.	retinád	retináid
3rd person sing.	retinája	retinái
1st person plural	retinánk	retináink
2nd person plural	retinátok	retináitok
3rd person plural	retinájuk	retináik

Further reading

• retina in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch retina, from Medieval Latin rētina, the diminutive form of Latin rēte (“net”), probably from Vulgar Latin tunica retina (literally “net-like tunic”), used to describe the blood vessel system at the back of the eye.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /reˈtina/ [reˈt̪i.na]
• Rhymes: -ina
• Syllabification: re‧ti‧na

Noun

rétina (plural retina-retina)

2. (ophthalmology) retina: the thin layer of cells at the back of the eyeball that contains rods and cones sensitive to light, which trigger nerve impulses that pass via the optic nerve to the brain, where a visual image is formed

   Synonym: selaput jala mata

Further reading

• “retina”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Interlingua

Noun

retina (plural retinas)

1. retina

Related terms

• retinal

Italian

Etymology 1

The original sense (Etymology 2) of retina, but given a specific anatomical meaning.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrɛ.ti.na/
• Rhymes: -ɛtina
• Hyphenation: rè‧ti‧na

Noun

retina f (plural retine)

1. (anatomy) retina

Derived terms

• retinene
• retinico
• retinite
• retinopatia

Etymology 2

From rete +‎ -ina.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /reˈti.na/
• Rhymes: -ina
• Hyphenation: re‧tì‧na

Noun

retina f (plural retine)

1. diminutive of rete
   1. small net
   2. hairnet

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /reˈti.na/
• Rhymes: -ina
• Hyphenation: re‧tì‧na

Verb

retina

1. inflection of retinare:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Anagrams

• Renati, anitre, arenti, entrai, intera, ratine, renati, rinate, tenari, tirane

Latin

Etymology 1

Generally explained as a deverbal of retineō (“hold back”). Alternatively, derived from retinācula ("reins" - far more common than the singular retināculum), reinterpreted as a feminine diminutive and back-formed into retina. Attested in the Glossarium Ansileubi, which was written between 650 and 800 CE.

Noun

retina f (genitive retinae); first declension (Early Medieval Latin)

1. rein (strap or rope attached to a bridle or bit, used to control an animal)

   Synonyms: lōrum, habēna

   • 10th century, anonymous, Chronicon Salernitanum 68, (example from DuCange):

     Apprehensaque equi Retina, celeriter eum Beneventum ducebat

     Having seized the horse's rein(s), he quickly rode it to Benevento.

Inflection

First-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	retina	retinae
genitive	retinae	retinārum
dative	retinae	retinīs
accusative	retinam	retinās
ablative	retinā	retinīs
vocative	retina	retinae

Descendants

• Italo-Romance:
  • Old Italian: redina (plural redine)
    • ⇒ Italian: redine (new singular)
    • Tuscan: redola (Lucca)
  • Neapolitan: rétena
  • Sicilian: rètina
  • → Byzantine Greek: ρέτενα (rétena)
• North Italian: (sometimes blended with briglia)
  • Gallo-Italic:
    • Emilian: redna
    • Ligurian: rédena
    • Lombard: rèdena, redna
    • Piedmontese: rëdna, rënna
  • Ladin: remni (pl.) ⇒ breni
  • Friulian: rèdine ⇒ brene
  • Romansh: regna
  • Venetan: redena ⇒ brena
• Gallo-Romance:
  • Old French: resne, redne (archaic), reyne, raine, raigne, raisne, reine, resine, renne
    • French: rêne
    • → English: rein
• Occitano-Romance:
  • Catalan: regna
  • Occitan: retna
• Ibero-Romance:
  • Old Galician-Portuguese: redẽa
    • Galician: rédea
    • Portuguese: rédea
  • Old Spanish: rienda
    • Spanish: rienda
      • →? Galician: renda
      • → Tagalog: renda

References

• "2. RETINA", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

• rētīna:
  • (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [reːˈtiː.na]
  • (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [reˈtiː.na]

Adjective

rētīna

1. inflection of rētīnus:
   1. nominative/vocative feminine singular
   2. nominative/accusative/vocative neuter plural

Adjective

rētīnā

1. ablative feminine singular of rētīnus

Etymology 3

Ellipsis of tunica rētīna (“a net-like tunic”), referring to the fibrillar texture of the eye's retina. The phrase is attested since at least the 12th century, and this noun usage since the 13th c.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [reːˈtiː.na]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [reˈtiː.na]

Noun

rētīna f (genitive rētīnae); first declension

1. (Medieval Latin, anatomy) the retina of an eye
   • 13th c., Roger Bacon, Opus maius 5.1.2.3:

     Et dicit Avicenna quarto de Animalibus, quod retina ducit nutrimentum secundum veritatem ad partes oculi

     And Avicenna says in his fourth book on Animals that the retina actually takes nutrients to the parts of the eye

Inflection

First-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	rētīna	rētīnae
genitive	rētīnae	rētīnārum
dative	rētīnae	rētīnīs
accusative	rētīnam	rētīnās
ablative	rētīnā	rētīnīs
vocative	rētīna	rētīnae

Descendants

• → Italian: retina
• → Middle English: rethina
  • English: retina

Etymology 4

An etymologising spelling, closer to the word’s etymon Ancient Greek ῥητῑ́νη (rhētī́nē, “resin of the pine”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [reːˈtiː.na]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [reˈtiː.na]

Noun

rētīna f (genitive rētīnae); first declension

1. medieval spelling of rēsīna (“resin”)

Inflection

First-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	rētīna	rētīnae
genitive	rētīnae	rētīnārum
dative	rētīnae	rētīnīs
accusative	rētīnam	rētīnās
ablative	rētīnā	rētīnīs
vocative	rētīna	rētīnae

References

• "1. RETINA", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ʁeˈt͡ʃĩ.nɐ/ [heˈt͡ʃĩ.nɐ]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ʁeˈt͡ʃĩ.nɐ/ [heˈt͡ʃĩ.nɐ]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ʁeˈt͡ʃĩ.nɐ/ [χeˈt͡ʃĩ.nɐ]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ʁeˈt͡ʃi.na/ [heˈt͡ʃi.na]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ʁɨˈti.nɐ/

• Hyphenation: re‧ti‧na

Etymology 1

Noun

retina f (plural retinas)

1. retina (thin layer of cells at the back of the eyeball)

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

retina

1. inflection of retinir:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “retina”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “retina”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /reˈti.na/
• Rhymes: -ina
• Hyphenation: re‧ti‧na

Noun

retina

1. definite nominative/accusative singular of retină

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /reˈtina/ [reˈt̪i.na]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ina
• Syllabification: re‧ti‧na

Noun

retina f (plural retinas)

1. retina

Further reading

• “retina”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025