LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

castellum

castellum n (genitive castellī)
Classical[kasˈtɛl.lũː]Ecclesiastical[kasˈtɛl.lum]

Meaning

  1. neutercastle, fort, citadel, fortress, stronghold
  2. neutera dwelling in a high place
  3. figurativelyneutera shelter, stronghold, defence, refuge
  4. neutera structure in which the water of an aqueduct is collected, to be distributed by pipes or channels in different directions; a reservoir
  5. Late Latinneutera village

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativecastellumcastella
genitivecastellīcastellōrum
dativecastellōcastellīs
accusativecastellumcastella
ablativecastellōcastellīs
vocativecastellumcastella

castellum, i, n. dim. castrum,
I. a castle, fort, citadel, fortress, stronghold, Sisenn. ap. Non. p. 514, 7; Caes. B. G. 2, 30; id. B. C. 3, 36; Cic. Phil. 5, 4, 9; id. Caecin. 7, 20; Sall. J. 54, 6; Nep. Milt. 2, 1; id. Alcib. 7, 4; Liv. 10, 46, 11; 21, 11, 10; Verg. A. 5, 440; Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 34 al.; also of a single bulwark, bastion, Caes. B. G. 1, 8; 2, 8; 7, 69; id. B. C. 3, 44; and poet. of a dwelling in an elevated position, Verg. G. 3, 475.—
B. In mechanics, a structure in which the water of an aqueduct is collected, to be distributed by pipes or channels in different directions, a reservoir, Vitr. 8, 6; Plin. 36, 15, 24, § 121; Front. Aquaed. 35; Dig. 19, 1, 17; 43, 20, 1; Inscr. Orell. 3203 al.—
II. Trop., shelter, stronghold, defence, refuge (cf. arx, I. B.): templum Castoris fuit arx civium perditorum... castellum forensis latrocinii, Cic. Pis. 5, 11: urbem philosophiae, mihi crede, proditis, dum castella defendis, id. Div. 2, 16, 37: tribunal Appii castellum omnium scelerum, Liv. 3, 57, 2.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱes-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ḱstrom
  3. Proto-Italic*kastrom
  4. Latincastellum

Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Indo-European *-elós Proto-Italic *-elos Latin -lum Latin castellum From castrum (“fort”) + -lum (diminutive suffix).

Gallo-Romance
  • Frenchchâteaufrom Old French chastel
  • Englishchâteaufrom Old French chastel
  • Englishchateaufrom Old French chastel
  • Portuguesechatôfrom Old French chastel
  • GermanKastellfrom Old French chastel
  • Englishcastlefrom Old French chastel
  • Franco-Provençalchâtél
  • Angevinchâtiaufrom Old French chastel
  • Bourguignonchaîteâfrom Old French chastel
  • Champenoischâtéfrom Old French chastel
Italo-Romance
  • Italiancastello
  • Englishcastellofrom Italian castello
  • Italiancastel
  • Corsicancastellu
  • Dalmatiancastial
  • Albaniankështjellëfrom Italian castello
  • Albaniankëshqelfrom Italian castello
  • Interlinguacastellofrom Italian castello
  • Maltesekastellfrom Italian castello
  • Turkishkastelfrom Italian castello
Occitano-Romance
  • Catalancastell
  • Englishcastellfrom Catalan castell
  • Spanishcastellfrom Catalan castell
  • Gasconcastèth
  • Old Occitancastel
Borrowings
  • Englishcastellum
  • Englishcashelfrom Old Irish caisel
  • Romaniancastel
  • Albaniankështjellë
  • Albaniankështjel
  • Albaniankëshqel
  • Arabicقَسْطَلfrom Aramaic קַסְטֵל
  • Basquegaztelu
  • Dutchcastellum
  • Scottish Gaeliccaisealfrom Old Irish caisel
Ibero-Romance
  • Portuguesecastelofrom Old Galician-Portuguese castelo
  • Spanishcastillofrom Old Spanish castiello
  • Aragonesecastiello
  • Falacastelufrom Old Galician-Portuguese castelo
  • Galiciancastelofrom Old Galician-Portuguese castelo
  • Kabuverdianukastélufrom Old Galician-Portuguese castelo
  • Asturiancastiellufrom Old Leonese *castiellu
  • Extremadurancastillufrom Old Leonese *castiellu
  • Leonesecastiellufrom Old Leonese *castiellu
  • Mirandesecastielhofrom Old Leonese *castiellu
Insular Romance
  • Sardiniancasteddu
North Italian
  • Romaniancoșteifrom Hungarian kastély
  • Emiliancastèl
  • Friuliancjiscjel
  • Friuliancjistiel
  • Friuliančhisčhel
  • Lombardcastell
  • Piedmontesecastel
  • Romagnolcastèl
  • Romanshchastè
  • Romanshcasti

In English words that came into English from castellum

  • castlecastellum
  • chatelainecastellanus
  • châteaucastellum
  • chatelaincastellum
  • castellarcastellum
  • castellologycastellum
  • castellanycastellania
  • castellumcastellum
  • cashelcastellum
  • castellatecastellātus
  • castellatedcastellum
  • castellanuscastellānus

Quick answers

What does castellum mean in Latin?
castellum, a noun, means “castle, fort, citadel, fortress, stronghold; a dwelling in a high place; a shelter, stronghold, defence, refuge”.
What is the genitive of castellum?
The genitive singular is castellī. castellum is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce castellum?
In classical Latin, [kasˈtɛl.lũː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [kasˈtɛl.lum].
Where does castellum come from?
Proto-Indo-European *ḱes- → Proto-Indo-European *ḱstrom → Proto-Italic *kastrom → Latin castellum.
Which English words come from castellum?
English words that go back to Latin castellum include castle, château, chatelain, castellar, castellology and castellum.