Latin

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Etymology 1

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A double diminutive from ōs (mouth; face), analyzable as ōs +‎ -culum +‎ -lum or as ōsculum (little mouth) (mostly attested in the derived sense 'kiss') +‎ -lum.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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ōscillum n (genitive ōscillī); second declension

  1. a little cavity in the middle of leguminous fruits, where the germ sprouts forth
  2. a little mask of Bacchus, hung from trees, so as to be easily moved by the wind
Declension
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Second-declension noun (neuter).

Case Singular Plural
Nominative ōscillum ōscilla
Genitive ōscillī ōscillōrum
Dative ōscillō ōscillīs
Accusative ōscillum ōscilla
Ablative ōscillō ōscillīs
Vocative ōscillum ōscilla
Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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obs- +‎ cillō (to move). See ōscillō (to swing) for more.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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oscillum n (genitive oscillī); second declension

  1. swing (apparatus)
Declension
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Second-declension noun (neuter).

Case Singular Plural
Nominative oscillum oscilla
Genitive oscillī oscillōrum
Dative oscillō oscillīs
Accusative oscillum oscilla
Ablative oscillō oscillīs
Vocative oscillum oscilla
Derived terms
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References

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  • oscillum”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • oscillum in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.