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canalicula

Etymology and origin of the Latin word canalicula

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Lucilius
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek (κάννα)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ka.naːˈlɪ.kʊ.ɫa][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ka.naˈliː.ku.la][1]

Forms

canālicula f (genitive canāliculae); first declension[1]

Etymology

It is a diminutive of canālis “channel, pipe”, a variant of canāliculus.[2][3][1] ⟨canālis⟩ is from ⟨*cannālis⟩, from canna (“reed, cane”), a borrowing of Ancient Greek κάννα (kánna, “reed”).[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is Lucilius.[4] Gaffiot cites Varro's Rēs rūsticae.[3] Köbler dates Lucilius c. 180–102 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant a small channel or conduit.[2][3] It survives in Portuguese quelha.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius uses it.[4]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it.[3][4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A small channel, conduit.[2][3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
Cite this entry

“Canalicula.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/canalicula. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·