noun · masculinesecond declension
cunīculus
cunīculus m (genitive cunīculī)
Classical[kʊˈniː.kʊ.ɫʊs]Ecclesiastical[kuˈniː.ku.lus]
Meaning
- a rabbit
Gaudet in effossīs habitāre cunīculus antrīs.
The rabbit enjoys living in dug out hollows. It showed the hidden paths to the foes.86 CE – 103 CE, Martialis, Epigrammata 13.60.1–2 - a rabbit burrow
- a mine, underground tunnel or gallery
Greges migratorum, qui diversis viis ex Africa vel Asia in Europam venerunt, in proximitatem urbis Caleti (Calais) convenerunt, unde brevissima est in Britanniam per cuniculum traiectio.
Groups of migrants, coming into Europe by various routes from Africa and Asia, came together near the city of Calais, where it is but a short passage to Britain through the tunnel.2015, Tuomo Pekkanen, Nuntii Latini 7.8.2015:https://areena.yle.fi/1-2864830vulpēs, cubīle fodiēns, dum terram ēruit agitque plūrīs altius cunīculōs,
c. 15 BCE – 50 CE, Phaedrus, Fabulae 4.21
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | cunīculus | cunīculī |
| genitive | cunīculī | cunīculōrum |
| dative | cunīculō | cunīculīs |
| accusative | cunīculum | cunīculōs |
| ablative | cunīculō | cunīculīs |
| vocative | cunīcule | cunīculī |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- cuniculos agere (B. G. 3. 21)
- to make mines, subterraneous passages.
cŭnīcŭlus, i, m. Spanish,
I. a rabbit, cony, Gr. κόνικλος or κύνικλος.
II. Transf. (from their habit of burrowing in the ground; cf. Varr. l. l.; collat. form, cŭnīcŭlum, i, n., acc. to Paul. ex Fest. p. 50, 4, but perh. an acc.; v. Müll. ad loc.), a passage under ground, a hole, pit, cavity, canal, etc.
B. In partic., milit. t. t., a mine, Caes. B. G. 3, 21; 7, 22 (three times); 7, 24; Hirt. B. G. 8, 41; Cic. Phil. 3, 8, 20; id. Caecin. 30, 88; Liv. 5, 19, 10:
ad murum cuniculis pervenire, id. 31, 17, 2: occultus vineis, id. 38, 7, 6; Amm. 24, 4, 13: cuniculorum fodinae, id. 24, 4, 21.—2. Trop.:
quae res aperte petebatur, ea nunc occulte cuniculis oppugnatur, i. e. by secret devices, Cic. Agr. 1, 1, 1.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
cunīculus ī, m
Spanish, a rabbit, cony, Ct. —A passage underground, mine, excavation: cuniculos agere ad aerarium: cuniculis ad aggerem actis, Cs.: per cuniculum Gallorum ascendit: in arcem agi coeptus, L.—Fig.: ea (res) occulte cuniculis oppugnatur, i. e. by secret devices.
Origins
Unknown, perhaps some Iberian or Celtiberian word + the Latin diminutive -ulus or -culus. Compare Basque untxi (“rabbit”). Attested from Varro onward.
Gallo-Romance
- Catalanconill
- Sardinianconigliufrom Catalan conill
- Occitanconilh
- Old Frenchconnil
Elsewhere
- Englishcuniculus
- Italiancunicolo
- Portuguesecunículo
- Greekκονικλοτροφείοfrom Ancient Greek κύνικλος
- Idokuniklofrom Esperanto kuniklo
- Czechkrálíkfrom Middle High German küniklīn
- Lower Sorbiankralikfrom Middle High German küniklīn
- Polishkrólikfrom Middle High German küniklīn
- Slovakkrálikfrom Middle High German küniklīn
Padanian
- Italianconiglio
- Sardinianconigliufrom Italian coniglio
- Emiliancunili
- Emiliancunij
- Emiliancunej
- Emiliancunì
- Emiliancunin
- Emiliancunén
- Lombardconì
- Lombardconili
Ibero-Romance
- Spanishconejofrom Old Spanish conejo
- Aragoneseconiello
- Asturianconeyufrom Old Leonese coneyo
- Leonesecuneyufrom Old Leonese coneyo
- Mirandeseconeilhofrom Old Leonese coneyo
- Old Galician-Portuguesecõelho
- Ladinokonejofrom Old Spanish conejo
Arabic
- Moroccan Arabicقنية
- Moroccan Arabicقلينة
Old Breton
- Bretonkoniklfrom Middle Breton conicl
- Bretonkoniflfrom Middle Breton conicl