LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

crepusculum

crepusculum n (genitive crepusculī)
Classical[krɛˈpʊs.kʊ.ɫũː]Ecclesiastical[kreˈpus.ku.lum]

Meaning

  1. neutertwilight, dusk
  2. neuterdarkness
  3. neuterdoubt
    Secundum hoc dicitur crepusculum a crepero: id vocabulum sumpserunt a Sabinis, unde veniunt Crepusci nominati Amiterno, qui eo tempore erant nati, ut Lucii prima luce in Reatino; crepusculum significat dubium; ab eo res dictae dubiae creperae, quod crepusculum dies etiam nunc sit an iam nox multis dubium.1938 translation by Roland G. Kent In line with this, crepusculum ‘dusk’ is said from creper[um] ‘obscure’; this word they took from the Sabines, from whom come those who were named Crepusci, from Amiternum, who had been born at that time of day, just like the Lucii, who were those born at dawn (prima luce) in the Reatine country. Crepusculum means doubtful: from this doubtful matters are called creperae ‘obscure,’ because dusk is a time when to many it is doubtful whether it is even yet day or is already night.116 BCE – 27 BCE, Marcus Terentius Varro, De Lingua Latina 6.5

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

lūx dubia inter diem noctemque
crepusculum -ī (n) — in Metamorphoses I, ch. 23

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Mane · Crepusculo · Diluculo

Mane (from μηνύειν) denotes in the morning, in the early course of the bright day, in opp. to the night, and the forenoon hours, like ὄρθρῳ; crepusculo (from creperus, κρύψαι) in the twilight, in opp. to the bright day; diluculo, in the twilight, in opp. to the dark night, like λυκόφως.

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativecrepusculumcrepuscula
genitivecrepusculīcrepusculōrum
dativecrepusculōcrepusculīs
accusativecrepusculumcrepuscula
ablativecrepusculōcrepusculīs
vocativecrepusculumcrepuscula

crĕpuscŭlum, i, n. creper,
I. twilight, dusk (cf. Varr. L. L. 6, § 5 Müll.); and in partic., evening twilight, the dusk of the evening (opp. diluculum, the morning twilight, dawn; poet. or in post-Aug. prose).
I. Prop., Plaut. Cas. prol. 40; Ov. M. 1, 219; 15, 681; id. F. 4, 735; Plin. 18, 25, 58, § 219; Suet. Ner. 26 al.—
II. In gen., darkness: iter per opaca crepuscula, Ov. M. 14, 122; cf. id. ib. 11, 596.

Origins

Uncertain, from *crepos (a lost s-stem neuter noun from the same root as creper) + -culum.

Descendants
  • Italiancrepuscolo
  • Occitancrepuscul
  • Catalancrepuscle
  • Frenchcrépusculefrom Old French crepuscule
  • Romaniancrepusculfrom Old French crepuscule
  • Englishcrepusculefrom Old French crepuscule
  • Portuguesecrepúsculo
  • Spanishcrepúsculo
  • Englishcrepusculum
  • Englishcrepuscular

In English words that came into English from crepusculum

  • crepuscularcrepusculum
  • crepusculecrepusculum
  • crepusculumcrepusculum

Quick answers

What does crepusculum mean in Latin?
crepusculum, a noun, means “twilight, dusk; darkness; doubt”.
What is the genitive of crepusculum?
The genitive singular is crepusculī. crepusculum is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce crepusculum?
In classical Latin, [krɛˈpʊs.kʊ.ɫũː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [kreˈpus.ku.lum].
Which English words come from crepusculum?
English words that go back to Latin crepusculum include crepuscular, crepuscule and crepusculum.