LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinesecond declension

dactylus1

dactylus m (genitive dactylī)
Classical[ˈdak.ty.ɫʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈdak.ti.lus]

Meaning

  1. masculinea sort of muscle
  2. masculinea kind of grape
  3. masculinea sort of grass
  4. masculinea precious stone
  5. masculinethe date
  6. masculinea dactyl (¯ ˘ ˘), one long followed by two short, or one accented followed by two unaccented; this came to be in an allusion to the three joints of the finger

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativedactylusdactylī
genitivedactylīdactylōrum
dativedactylōdactylīs
accusativedactylumdactylōs
ablativedactylōdactylīs
vocativedactyledactylī

dactўlus, i, m., = δάκτυλος (
I. a finger, hence meton.).
I. A sort of muscle: "ab humanorum unguium similitudine appellati," Plin. 9, 61, 87, § 184.—
II. A kind of grape, Col. 3, 2, 1; called also dacty-lis, Plin. 14, 3, 4, § 40.—
III. A sort of grass, Plin. 24, 19, 119, § 182.—
IV. A precious stone, Plin. 37, 10, 61, § 170.—
V. The date, Pall. Oct. 12, 1; Apic. 1, 1 al.—
VI. In metre, a dactyl, ¯ ˘ ˘ (in allusion to the three joints of the finger), Cic. Or. 64, 217; id. de Or. 3, 47, 182; Quint. 9, 4, 81 et saep.—
VII. Dactўli Idaei, Δάκτυλοι Ἰδαῖοι, a mythic body of men originally placed on Mt. Ida, in Phrygia, afterwards in the island of Crete; priests of Cybele, and as such regarded as identical with the Corybantes, and with the Samothracian Cabiri, Diom. p. 474 P.; Plin. 7, 56, 57, § 197 (in pure Lat., Idaei Digiti, Cic. N. D. 3, 16, 42).

Origins

Ancient Greek δάκτυλος (dáktulos)der. Latin dactylus Borrowed from Ancient Greek δάκτυλος (dáktulos, “a finger, a dactyl”).

Elsewhere
  • Catalandàctil
  • Englishdactyl
  • Frenchdactyle
  • GermanDattelfrom Old High German dahtil
  • GermanDaktylusfrom Old High German dahtil
  • Italiandattilo
  • Occitandactil
  • Portuguesedátilo
  • Spanishdáctilo
  • Papiamentudaderfrom Middle Dutch dadele
Gallo-Romance
  • Catalandàtil
  • Spanishdátilfrom Catalan dàtil
  • Occitandàtilfrom Old Occitan datil
  • Old Frenchdatilfrom Old Occitan datil
  • Old Frenchdatefrom Old Occitan datil
Italo-Romance
  • Italiandattero
  • Serbo-Croatiandàtuljafrom Italian dattero
  • Serbo-Croatianда̀туљаfrom Italian dattero
  • Hungariandatolyafrom Venetan dàtolo
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Romanshdatla
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective
dactylus2
dactylus (feminine dactyla, neuter dactylum)
Classical[ˈdak.ty.ɫʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈdak.ti.lus]

Meaning

  1. New Latinadjectivefinger-like; fingered.

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativedactylusdactyladactylum
genitivedactylīdactylaedactylī
dativedactylōdactylaedactylō
accusativedactylumdactylamdactylum
ablativedactylōdactylādactylō
vocativedactyledactyladactylum
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativedactylīdactylaedactyla
genitivedactylōrumdactylārumdactylōrum
dativedactylīsdactylīsdactylīs
accusativedactylōsdactylāsdactyla
ablativedactylīsdactylīsdactylīs
vocativedactylīdactylaedactyla

Origins

Ancient Greek δάκτυλος (dáktulos)der. Latin dactylus Borrowed from Ancient Greek δάκτυλος (dáktulos, “a finger, a dactyl”).

Descendants
  • TranslingualGrapholita dactyla
  • TranslingualLepanthes dactyla
  • TranslingualPorroglossum dactylum

Quick answers

What does dactylus mean in Latin?
dactylus, a noun, means “a sort of muscle; a kind of grape; a sort of grass”.
What is the genitive of dactylus?
The genitive singular is dactylī. dactylus is masculine, second declension.
How do you pronounce dactylus?
In classical Latin, [ˈdak.ty.ɫʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈdak.ti.lus].