-unculus
See also: unculus
Latin
Etymology
An extended form of -culus derived from diminutives ending in -unculus derived from third-declension nouns with nominative singular forms ending in -ō and oblique stems ending in -in- or -ōn- (such as homunculus (from homō, homin- + -culus) and sermunculus (from sermō, sermōn- + -culus)), in which the stem’s vowel was altered from i or ō to u.
Pronunciation
- (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈun.ku.lus/, [ˈʊŋ.kʊ.ɫʊs]
Suffix
-unculus m (feminine -uncula, neuter -unculum); first/second declension
- Suffix forming diminutive forms of nouns, ultimately an extended form of -lus.
- avus (“grandfather”) → avunculus (“uncle”)
- rāna (“frog”) → rānunculus (“tadpole”)
Declension
First/second declension.
| Number | Singular | Plural | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case / Gender | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
| Nominative | -unculus | -uncula | -unculum | -unculī | -unculae | -uncula | |
| Genitive | -unculī | -unculae | -unculī | -unculōrum | -unculārum | -unculōrum | |
| Dative | -unculō | -unculae | -unculō | -unculīs | -unculīs | -unculīs | |
| Accusative | -unculum | -unculam | -unculum | -unculōs | -unculās | -uncula | |
| Ablative | -unculō | -unculā | -unculō | -unculīs | -unculīs | -unculīs | |
| Vocative | -uncule | -uncula | -unculum | -unculī | -unculae | -uncula | |
Derived terms
► <a class='CategoryTreeLabel CategoryTreeLabelNs14 CategoryTreeLabelCategory' href='/wiki/Category:Latin_words_suffixed_with_-unculus' title='Category:Latin words suffixed with -unculus'>Latin words suffixed with -unculus</a>
References
- “-unculus” on page 2090/3 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1st ed., 1968–82)