spiculum

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English

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Etymology

From Latin spīculum (“a little sharp point”), from spīcum, alternative form of spīca (“point, spike”).

Pronunciation

Noun

spiculum (plural spicula)

  1. A thrusting javelin used by Romans that replaced the pilum in the late 3rd century.
  2. A sharp, pointed crystal, especially of ice.
  3. (zoology) A sharp, needle-like structure, especially those making up the skeleton of a sponge.
  4. (astronomy) A small radial emission of gas seen in the chromosphere and corona of the sun.

Synonyms

  • (sharp, pointed crystal): spicula
  • (sharp, needle-like strucutre): spicule
  • (small radial emission of gas): spicule

Derived terms

Latin

Etymology

From spīcum (“point, spike”, alternative form of spīca) +‎ -ulum (diminutive suffix).

Pronunciation

Noun

spīculum n (genitive spīculī); second declension

  1. little sharp point or sting
  2. dart, arrow

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

singular plural
nominative spīculum spīcula
genitive spīculī spīculōrum
dative spīculō spīculīs
accusative spīculum spīcula
ablative spīculō spīculīs
vocative spīculum spīcula

Descendants

  • Italo-Dalmatian
    • Italian: spigolo (“corner, edge”)
  • Occitano-Romance
    • Catalan: espígol (“lavender”)
    • ⇒ Gascon: arrespilh (“piece of wood for patching containers”)
  • Oïl
    • ⇒ Picard: épillon (“bee's stinger, barb”)
  • West Iberian
  • Borrowings

From Vulgar Latin *spiclu(m):

From spīcula (plural):

References

Further reading

  • “spiculum”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • “spiculum”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • spiculum in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
  • “spiculum”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin
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