anculus

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *amβikʷolos, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂m̥bʰi-kʷol(h₁)-ós, from *h₂m̥bʰí (“around, at the side”) +‎ *kʷel(h₁)- (whence colō (“I till, cultivate; I inhabit”)). Cognate with Ancient Greek ἀμφίπολος (amphípolos, “attendant, follower”), Old Persian [script needed] (ābicarīš, “place inhabited or tilled by servants”, acc.pl.)^[1] and Sanskrit अभिचर (abhicara, “servant”) (cf. also अभिचार (abhicārá, “witchcraft”)).

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈan.ku.lus/, [ˈäŋkʊɫ̪ʊs̠]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈan.ku.lus/, [ˈäŋkulus]

Noun

anculus m (genitive anculī); second declension

(archaic) a manservant

Usage notes

This word fell into disuse, having been limited to liturgical use, and was replaced by famulus and servus, but its feminine counterpart ancilla is well attested.

Declension

Second-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	anculus	anculī
Genitive	anculī	anculōrum
Dative	anculō	anculīs
Accusative	anculum	anculōs
Ablative	anculō	anculīs
Vocative	ancule	anculī

Related terms

ancula

References

^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “anculus”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 41: “PIt. *ambi-k⁽ʷ⁾olo-; PIE *h₂mbʰi-kʷolh₁-os ‘going towards/around’”

“ancŭlus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
anculus in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
anculus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

[1] De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “anculus”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 41: “PIt. *ambi-k⁽ʷ⁾olo-; PIE *h₂mbʰi-kʷolh₁-os ‘going towards/around’”

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