Etymologically
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canaliculus

Etymology and origin of the Latin word canaliculus

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Varro
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek (κάννα)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin canaliculus
Latin canaliculatus

Pronunciation

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

Forms

canāliculus m (genitive canāliculī); second declension[1] A feminine canālicula is found before and after the classical period.[2]

Etymology

It is a diminutive of canālis “channel, pipe” with the suffix -culus; ⟨canālis⟩ is from canna “reed”, from Ancient Greek κάννα (kánna, “reed”).[3][1][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Varro, of a small channel.[3] Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It was a small channel or duct, as in Varro and Vitruvius; a feeding trough, as in Columella; and in Celsus a guttered splint.[3][4]

English borrowed it as canaliculus, and Italian has canalicolo.[1]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it.[3][4]
  • c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius uses it.[4]
  • 14–37 AD – Celsus uses it of a splint.[3][4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A small channel, duct.[3]
  2. A feeding trough.[3]
  3. A guttered splint.[3]

Word family

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de

Derived terms

Cite this entry

“Canaliculus.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/canaliculus. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·