Ursae

Ursae is a Latin word form that appears most often as a grammatical case rather than as a stand-alone name. It is the genitive singular of the feminine noun ursa, meaning bear, and its nominative plural form is ursae. Because of this, Ursae can function in Latin as “of a bear” or, depending on context, as part of a larger phrase such as “bears.”

In astronomy, Ursae is encountered in the names of two well-known constellations and in star designations. The constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor translate to the Great Bear and the Little Bear. In star naming, Ursae appears in the genitive form to indicate belonging to a bear, as in Alpha Ursae Majoris, meaning “the Alpha star of the Great Bear,” or Beta Ursae Minoris for the brightest star in the Little Bear. These usages reflect the traditional Latin approach to naming celestial objects.

Outside astronomy, Ursae appears primarily in Latin phrases or scholarly discussions about Latin morphology. It is not a common modern standalone term, but it may be encountered in classical texts or explanations of constellation nomenclature. The capitalization of Ursae helps identify it as part of a proper noun in astronomical contexts, where the full forms Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, and their star designations are standard.

See also: Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Ursae Majoris, Ursae Minoris.