sperma

See also: Sperma, spermā, spermă, and spermą

English

Noun

sperma (plural spermata)

1. Obsolete form of sperm.
   • 1600, John Pory (translator), A Geographical Historie of Africa (original by Leo Africanus), page 344:

     The head of this fish is as hard as stone. The inhabitants of the Ocean sea coast affirme that this fish casteth foorth Amber; but whether the said Amber be the sperma or the excrement thereof, they cannot well determine.

Anagrams

• ampers, prames, remaps

Albanian

Noun

sperma

1. definite nominative singular of spermë

Czech

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin sperma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈspɛrma]

Noun

sperma n

1. sperm, semen

   Synonym: semeno

Declension

Declension of sperma (ma-stem neuter reducible)

	singular	plural
nominative	sperma	spermata
genitive	spermatu	spermat
dative	spermatu	spermatům
accusative	sperma	spermata
vocative	sperma	spermata
locative	spermatu	spermatech
instrumental	spermatem	spermaty

Related terms

• spermie

Further reading

• “sperma”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “sperma”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “sperma”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2026

Dutch

Etymology

From Late Latin sperma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈspɛrmaː/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

sperma n (uncountable, no diminutive)

1. (biology) sperm, semen (fluid animal seed)

Synonyms

• zaad

Related terms

• spermabank
• spermadonor
• spermatozoïde

Estonian

Etymology

From German Sperma.

Noun

sperma (genitive sperma, partitive spermat)

1. sperm

Declension

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

See also

• seeme
• seemnevedelik

Finnish

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek σπέρμα (spérma, “seed”), possibly through Latin sperma or German Sperma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈspermɑ/, [ˈs̠pe̞rmɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ermɑ
• Syllabification^(key): sper‧ma
• Hyphenation^(key): sper‧ma

Noun

sperma

1. semen, sperm

Declension

Inflection of sperma (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		sperma	spermat
genitive		sperman	spermojen
partitive		spermaa	spermoja
illative		spermaan	spermoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		sperma	spermat
accusative	nom.	sperma	spermat
	gen.	sperman
genitive		sperman	spermojen spermain rare
partitive		spermaa	spermoja
inessive		spermassa	spermoissa
elative		spermasta	spermoista
illative		spermaan	spermoihin
adessive		spermalla	spermoilla
ablative		spermalta	spermoilta
allative		spermalle	spermoille
essive		spermana	spermoina
translative		spermaksi	spermoiksi
abessive		spermatta	spermoitta
instructive		—	spermoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of sperma (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative spermani spermani accusative nom. spermani spermani gen. spermani genitive spermani spermojeni spermaini rare partitive spermaani spermojani inessive spermassani spermoissani elative spermastani spermoistani illative spermaani spermoihini adessive spermallani spermoillani ablative spermaltani spermoiltani allative spermalleni spermoilleni essive spermanani spermoinani translative spermakseni spermoikseni abessive spermattani spermoittani instructive — — comitative — spermoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative spermasi spermasi accusative nom. spermasi spermasi gen. spermasi genitive spermasi spermojesi spermaisi rare partitive spermaasi spermojasi inessive spermassasi spermoissasi elative spermastasi spermoistasi illative spermaasi spermoihisi adessive spermallasi spermoillasi ablative spermaltasi spermoiltasi allative spermallesi spermoillesi essive spermanasi spermoinasi translative spermaksesi spermoiksesi abessive spermattasi spermoittasi instructive — — comitative — spermoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative spermamme spermamme accusative nom. spermamme spermamme gen. spermamme genitive spermamme spermojemme spermaimme rare partitive spermaamme spermojamme inessive spermassamme spermoissamme elative spermastamme spermoistamme illative spermaamme spermoihimme adessive spermallamme spermoillamme ablative spermaltamme spermoiltamme allative spermallemme spermoillemme essive spermanamme spermoinamme translative spermaksemme spermoiksemme abessive spermattamme spermoittamme instructive — — comitative — spermoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative spermanne spermanne accusative nom. spermanne spermanne gen. spermanne genitive spermanne spermojenne spermainne rare partitive spermaanne spermojanne inessive spermassanne spermoissanne elative spermastanne spermoistanne illative spermaanne spermoihinne adessive spermallanne spermoillanne ablative spermaltanne spermoiltanne allative spermallenne spermoillenne essive spermananne spermoinanne translative spermaksenne spermoiksenne abessive spermattanne spermoittanne instructive — — comitative — spermoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative spermansa spermansa accusative nom. spermansa spermansa gen. spermansa genitive spermansa spermojensa spermainsa rare partitive spermaansa spermojaan spermojansa inessive spermassaan spermassansa spermoissaan spermoissansa elative spermastaan spermastansa spermoistaan spermoistansa illative spermaansa spermoihinsa adessive spermallaan spermallansa spermoillaan spermoillansa ablative spermaltaan spermaltansa spermoiltaan spermoiltansa allative spermalleen spermallensa spermoilleen spermoillensa essive spermanaan spermanansa spermoinaan spermoinansa translative spermakseen spermaksensa spermoikseen spermoiksensa abessive spermattaan spermattansa spermoittaan spermoittansa instructive — — comitative — spermoineen spermoinensa

Synonyms

• siemenneste

Derived terms

compounds

• spermanluovuttaja
• spermapankki

Further reading

• “sperma”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (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

Indonesian

Etymology

Internationalism, learned borrowing from Late Latin sperma.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈspɛrma/ [ˈspɛr.ma]
• Rhymes: -ɛrma
• Syllabification: sper‧ma

Noun

sperma (plural sperma-sperma)

1. sperm

   Synonym: mani

Derived terms

• bersperma (“spermed”)

Related terms

• aspermia
• spermatogenesis

Further reading

• “sperma”, 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

Italian

Etymology

From Late Latin sperma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈspɛr.ma/
• Rhymes: -ɛrma
• Hyphenation: spèr‧ma

Noun

sperma m (plural spermi)

1. sperm

Further reading

• sperma in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Anagrams

• sprema

Latin

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek σπέρμα (spérma, “seed, semen”).

Noun

sperma n (genitive spermatis); third declension

1. seed, semen, sperm

Declension

Third-declension noun (neuter, imparisyllabic non-i-stem).

	singular	plural
nominative	sperma	spermata
genitive	spermatis	spermatum
dative	spermatī	spermatibus
accusative	sperma	spermata
ablative	spermate	spermatibus
vocative	sperma	spermata

Descendants

• Asturian: espelma, esplema
• Catalan: espelma
• → Catalan: esperma
• → Old French: sperme
  • Middle French: sperme
    • → English: sperm
    • French: sperme
• → German: Sperma
  • → Estonian: sperma
• → Spanish: esperma

References

• “sperma”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• "sperma", 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)
• “sperma”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Latvian

Etymology

From Latin sperma, from Ancient Greek σπέρμα (spérma, “seed, semen”).

Noun

sperma f (4th declension)

1. sperm, semen (generative substance of male animals)

Declension

Declension of sperma (4th)

	singular (vienskaitlis)	plural (daudzskaitlis)
nominative	sperma	spermas
genitive	spermas	spermu
dative	spermai	spermām
accusative	spermu	spermas
instrumental	spermu	spermām
locative	spermā	spermās
vocative	sperma	spermas

Synonyms

• sēkla

Lithuanian

Etymology

From Late Latin sperma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈsʲpʲɛɾmɐ]

Noun

spèrma f (plural spèrmos) stress pattern 1

1. sperm, semen

Declension

Declension of spèrma

	singular (vienaskaita)	plural (daugiskaita)
nominative (vardininkas)	spèrma	spèrmos
genitive (kilmininkas)	spèrmos	spèrmų
dative (naudininkas)	spèrmai	spèrmoms
accusative (galininkas)	spèrmą	spèrmas
instrumental (įnagininkas)	spèrma	spèrmomis
locative (vietininkas)	spèrmoje	spèrmose
vocative (šauksmininkas)	spèrma	spèrmos

Synonyms

• sėkla

Derived terms

• spermatozoidas

See also

• ejakuliacija
• ejakuliatas
• ejakuliuoti
• prejakuliatas

Maltese

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian sperma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈspɛr.ma/
• Rhymes: -ɛrma

Noun

sperma f

1. semen, sperm

   Synonyms: liba, żerriegħa

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Ancient Greek σπέρμα (spérma, “seed, semen”).

Noun

sperma n (definite singular spermaet, uncountable)

1. sperm, semen

Synonyms

• sperm
• sæd

Derived terms

• sperme

Related terms

• spermie

Etymology 2

Verb

sperma

1. inflection of sperme:
   1. simple past
   2. past participle

References

• “sperma” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Ancient Greek σπέρμα (spérma, “seed, semen”).

Noun

sperma n (definite singular spermaet, uncountable)

1. sperm, semen

Synonyms

• sæd

Related terms

• spermie

References

• “sperma” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Polish

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Late Latin sperma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈspɛr.ma/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛrma
• Syllabification: sper‧ma

Noun

sperma f (related adjective spermowy)

1. semen

   Synonyms: nasienie, ejakulat

Declension

Declension of sperma

	singular
nominative	sperma
genitive	spermy
dative	spermie
accusative	spermę
instrumental	spermą
locative	spermie
vocative	spermo

Derived terms

nouns

• agamospermia
• bank spermy

Further reading

• sperma in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• sperma in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈsperma]

Noun

sperma

1. definite nominative/accusative singular of spermă

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Late Latin sperma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /spěrma/

Noun

spèrma f (Cyrillic spelling спѐрма)

1. sperm

Declension

Declension of sperma

	singular	plural
nominative	sperma	sperme
genitive	sperme	sperma
dative	spermi	spermama
accusative	spermu	sperme
vocative	spermo	sperme
locative	spermi	spermama
instrumental	spermom	spermama

Slovene

Etymology

From Late Latin sperma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /spɛ́ːrma/

Noun

spȇrma f

1. sperm, semen

Declension

The diacritics used in this section of the entry are non-tonal. If you are a native tonal speaker, please help by adding the tonal marks.

Feminine, a-stem
nominative	spêrma
genitive	spêrme
	singular
nominative (imenovȃlnik)	spêrma
genitive (rodȋlnik)	spêrme
dative (dajȃlnik)	spêrmi
accusative (tožȋlnik)	spêrmo
locative (mẹ̑stnik)	spêrmi
instrumental (orọ̑dnik)	spêrmo

Further reading

• “sperma”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU (in Slovene), 2014–2026

Swedish

Noun

sperma c

1. semen

   Synonyms: säd, sädesvätska, (slang) sarre, (slang) sagge

Declension

Declension of sperma

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	sperma	spermas
	definite	sperman	spermans
plural	indefinite	—	—
	definite	—	—

Derived terms

• spermabank

See also

• spermie (“sperm cell”)
• sats (“load”)

References

• sperma in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• sperma in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• sperma in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
• Svensk MeSH
• Fula Ordboken