homunculus
See also: Homunculus
English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from Latin homunculus, diminutive of homō (“man”).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
homunculus (plural homunculi)
- A miniature man, once imagined by spermists to be present in human sperm.
- The nerve map of the human body that exists on the parietal lobe of the human brain.
Quotations edit
- For quotations using this term, see Citations:homunculus.
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Translations edit
little man
See also edit
References edit
- “homunculus”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “homunculus”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- “homunculus”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
Italian edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
Unadapted borrowing from Latin homunculus (“little man”). Compare the adapted borrowing omuncolo.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
homunculus m (invariable)
- (alchemy, folklore) homunculus (a legendary figure resembling a little man, who was said to be created through alchemy)
- (historical, biology) homunculus (the little man believed by preformationists to be inside human sperm)
- (physiology, neuroscience) homunculus (nerve map realized as a distorted representation of the human body)
- homunculus corticale ― cortical homunculus
- homunculus motorio ― motor homunculus
Further reading edit
- (sense 1 and 2): homunculus (alchimia) on the Italian Wikipedia.Wikipedia it
- (sense 3): homunculus corticale on the Italian Wikipedia.Wikipedia it
- omuncolo in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
- homunculus in Dizionario Italiano Olivetti, Olivetti Media Communication
Latin edit
Etymology edit
From homō, hominis + -culus.
Pronunciation edit
- (Classical) IPA(key): /hoˈmun.ku.lus/, [hɔˈmʊŋkʊɫ̪ʊs̠]
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /oˈmun.ku.lus/, [oˈmuŋkulus]
Noun edit
homunculus m (genitive homunculī); second declension
- Diminutive of homō (“man”).
- a little or weak man, homunculus
- (rare) a dwarf
Declension edit
Second-declension noun.
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nominative | homunculus | homunculī |
Genitive | homunculī | homunculōrum |
Dative | homunculō | homunculīs |
Accusative | homunculum | homunculōs |
Ablative | homunculō | homunculīs |
Vocative | homuncule | homunculī |
Descendants edit
- → Catalan: homuncle
- → English: homunculus
- → Spanish: homúnculo
- → French: homuncule
- → German: Homunkulus
- → Italian: homunculus
- → Japanese: ホムンクルス
- → Portuguese: homúnculo
- → Romanian: homunculus
- → Russian: гому́нкул (gomúnkul)
References edit
- “homunculus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “homunculus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- homunculus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
Romanian edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from Latin homunculus.
Noun edit
homunculus m (plural homunculuși)
Declension edit
Declension of homunculus
singular | plural | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
indefinite articulation | definite articulation | indefinite articulation | definite articulation | |
nominative/accusative | (un) homunculus | homunculusul | (niște) homunculuși | homunculușii |
genitive/dative | (unui) homunculus | homunculusului | (unor) homunculuși | homunculușilor |
vocative | homunculusule | homunculușilor |