Latin edit

Etymology edit

From fūr (a thief) +‎ -unculus (diminutive nominal suffix). The use of the ending -unculus, which more often appeared in diminutives of n-stem nouns, may be influenced by analogy with the word latrunculus (highwayman, robber), a diminutive with a similar meaning.[1] Alternatively (particularly in the sense "ferret"), could be from fūrō +‎ -culus, i.e. a diminutive formed on an n-stem base fūrō, an alternative form of fūr.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

fūrunculus m (genitive fūrunculī); second declension

  1. (literally) pilferer (petty thief)
  2. (transferred sense)
    1. (pathology) pointed burning sore on the human body; boil, furuncle
    2. (botany) germ or knob on a vine, so called from its shape
    3. (zoology) refers to some mustelid animal (either a stoat or a ferret)
      Synonyms: fūrō, ictis, viverra, furectus, furettus

Inflection edit

Second-declension noun.

Case Singular Plural
Nominative fūrunculus fūrunculī
Genitive fūrunculī fūrunculōrum
Dative fūrunculō fūrunculīs
Accusative fūrunculum fūrunculōs
Ablative fūrunculō fūrunculīs
Vocative fūruncule fūrunculī

Descendants edit

All having the sense of 'sore, boil, abscess'.

References edit

  1. ^ Ludwig Ramshorn. 1860. Dictionary of Latin Synonymes, for the Use of Schools and Private Students. Page 14

Further reading edit

  • furunculus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • furunculus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • furunculus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette