-ulus

Forms

-ulus (feminine -ula, neuter -ulum); first/second-declension suffix^[1]

Etymology

The suffix is inherited from Proto-Italic *-elos, whence Faliscan -𐌄𐌋𐌏𐌔 (-elos), from Proto-Indo-European *-elós, thematized from *-lós.^[1] Weiss sets out the same line of descent for the diminutive, through older -olus from /*-elos/.^[2] The OLD treats it as an enlargement of -lus.^[3] Fortson finds the suffix /*-lo-/ widely in diminutives in Italic, Germanic and Balto-Slavic, comparing porculus (“piglet”) with Old High German farhali and Lithuanian paršẽlis, and also on verbal roots making nouns.^[4] Weiss holds that the two functions, deverbal agentive and denominal often diminutive, may both be inherited, while noting that Schuhmann argues the diminutive use should not be attributed to Proto-Indo-European.^[2] It is cognate with Proto-Germanic *-ilaz and *-ulaz, the source of English -le.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus, of about 250–184 BC,^[5] already has both main uses: garrulus (“talkative”) and tremulus (“trembling”) from verbs, and fīliolus (“little son”) and servolus (“a young or worthless slave”) from nouns, these two with ⟨-olus⟩ kept after /i/ and /u/.^[2]

Semantic evolution

As a diminutive it forms nouns such as calculus from calx, and adjectives such as Graeculus, usually disparaging.^[3] On verbs it forms adjectives of repeated action, such as crēdulus and tremulus, and agent nouns such as figulus.^[3][2] It also forms nouns for instruments, such as capulus and cingulus.^[3] After bases of the third, fourth and fifth declensions the diminutive has the form -culus, probably from a piling up of /-k(o)-/ and /-lo-/,^[2] which Meiser separates from the instrument suffix -c(u)lum.^[6] English -ule continues the diminutive, as in capsule.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses garrulus, tremulus, fīliolus and servolus.^[2][5]
• 116–27 BC – Varro has figulus (“potter”) and capreolus (“young roe deer”).^[2][5]
• 96–55 BC – Lucretius has bibulus (“absorbent”).^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero has crēdulus and cingulus.^[2][3][5]

Meanings

Suffix

1. Forms a diminutive of a noun, indicating small size or youth: calculus, fīliolus.^[3][1][2]
2. Forms a diminutive of an adjective, with weakened force: Graeculus.^[3][1]
3. Forms adjectives or agent nouns from verbs, denoting repeated action: crēdulus, tremulus, figulus.^[3][1][2]
4. Forms nouns for instruments: capulus, cingulus.^[3]

Word family

• -unculus
• -culus
• -ellus
• -illus
• -uleus
• -ullus
• calculus
• Graeculus
• crēdulus
• tremulus
• capulus
• cingulus
• fīliolus
• servolus
• garrulus
• bibulus
• figulus
• pendulus

Related words

• English -ule
• English -le

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Weiss, Michael (2020), Outline of the Historical and Comparative Grammar of Latin, 2nd ed., Ann Arbor: Beech Stave
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ Fortson, Benjamin W., IV (2010), Indo-European Language and Culture: An Introduction, 2nd ed., Malden, MA / Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell
5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Meiser, Gerhard (2010), Historische Laut- und Formenlehre der lateinischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Darmstadt: WBG
7. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com