hemicyclium

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Latin

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἡμῐκῠ́κλῐον (hēmikúklion, semicircle), substantive of ἡμῐκῠ́κλῐος (hēmikúklios, semicircular).

Pronunciation

Noun

hēmicyclium n (genitive hēmicycliī or hēmicyclī); second declension

  1. half circle, semicircle
    • 61 CEc. 112 CE, Pliny the Younger, Epistulae 5.6.33:
      Rectus hic hippodromi limes in extrema parte hemicyclio frangitur mutatque faciem
      Here, the straight boundary of the hippodrome is broken and changes its appearance at the far end with a semicircular shape
    Synonym: hēmicyclus
    1. semicircular recess with seats
    2. semicircular public place furnished with rows of seats for learned discussions
      • c. 69 CE – 122 CE, Suetonius, Lives of the Grammarians 17:
        Statuam habet Praeneste in superiore fori parte circa hemicyclium
        It has a statue in Praeneste, in the upper part of the forum, around the semicircular area
    3. semicircular kind of sundial
      • c. 15 BCE, Vitruvius, De architectura 9.8.1:
        Hemicyclium excavatum ex quadrato ad enclimaque succisum Berosus Chaldaeus dicitur invenisse
        The excavated semicircular sundial, shaped from a square to a sloping form, is said to have been invented by the Chaldean Berosus

Inflection

Second-declension noun (neuter).

singular plural
nominative hēmicyclium hēmicyclia
genitive hēmicycliī
hēmicyclī1
hēmicycliōrum
dative hēmicycliō hēmicycliīs
accusative hēmicyclium hēmicyclia
ablative hēmicycliō hēmicycliīs
vocative hēmicyclium hēmicyclia

1Found in older Latin (until the Augustan Age).

Descendants

  • English: hemicycle
  • French: hémicycle

References