spiculum
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English
Etymology
From Latin spīculum (“a little sharp point”), from spīcum, alternative form of spīca (“point, spike”).
Pronunciation
Noun
spiculum (plural spicula)
- A thrusting javelin used by Romans that replaced the pilum in the late 3rd century.
- A sharp, pointed crystal, especially of ice.
- (zoology) A sharp, needle-like structure, especially those making up the skeleton of a sponge.
- (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
- (Classical Latin) IPA(key): /ˈspiː.ku.lum/,
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /ˈspi.ku.lum/,
Noun
spīculum n (genitive spīculī); second declension
Declension
Second-declension noun (neuter).
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | spīculum | spīcula |
| Genitive | spīculī | spīculōrum |
| Dative | spīculō | spīculīs |
| Accusative | spīculum | spīcula |
| Ablative | spīculō | spīculīs |
| Vocative | spīculum | spīcula |
Descendants
- Italo-Romance:
- Gallo-Romance:
- ⇒ Picard: épillon (“bee's stinger, barb”)
- Occitano-Romance:
- Ibero-Romance:
- Borrowings:
From spīcula (plural):
References
- Joan Coromines, José A[ntonio] Pascual (1984) “espliego”, in Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico [Critic Castilian and Hispanic Etymological Dictionary] (in Spanish), volume II (Ce–F), Madrid: Gredos, →ISBN, page 750
- Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “spīcŭlum”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, volumes 12: Sk–š, page 176
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