LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinesecond declension

discipulus

discipulus m (genitive discipulī)
Classical[dɪsˈkɪ.pʊ.ɫʊs]Ecclesiastical[diʃˈʃiː.pu.lus]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. masculinestudent, pupil, disciple, schoolboy
  2. masculinecadet (student in a military school or state program)

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

puer quī discit; magistrō pāret.
discipulus -ī m — in Mille Verba, Artēs et Litterae

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativediscipulusdiscipulī
genitivediscipulīdiscipulōrum
dativediscipulōdiscipulīs
accusativediscipulumdiscipulōs
ablativediscipulōdiscipulīs
vocativediscipulediscipulī

discĭpŭlus, i, m. disco, and root of puer, pupilla; cf. Sanscr., putras, son; Gr. πῶλος; Engl., foal,
I. a learner, scholar, pupil, disciple.
I. In gen., Plaut. Bacch. 1, 2, 44 sq.; Cic. Div. 1, 3, 6; 1, 23, 46; id. N. D. 3, 7 et saep.—Trop. Prov.: discipulus est prioris posterior dies, Pub. Syr. 120 (Rib).—In the fem.: discĭpŭla, ae, a female scholar or disciple: ego te dedam discipulam cruci, Plaut. Aul. 1, 1, 20; Plin. 35, 11, 40, § 147; Hor. S. 1, 10, 91; Vulg. Act. 9, 36 al.—Cf. transf., of the nightingale, Plin. 10, 29, 43, § 83.—Of Latin eloquence: Latina facundia similis Graecae ac prorsus ejus discipula videtur, Quint. 12, 10, 27.— —
II. A learner in an art or trade, an apprentice, Plaut. Aul. 3, 1, 4; id. Ps. 3, 2, 76; 96; Paul. Sent. 2, 8, 3.—
III. (Eccl. Lat.) A disciple of Christ, Vulg. Luc. 5, 30 et saep.

Origins

From dis- (reversal) + plus early *kapelos (“one who takes”) - whence capulus (“tomb”). Sense influenced by the unrelated verb discō (“learn”). Compare typologically English apprentice, which descends from Latin apprehendō (see apprentice for more).

Descendants
  • Catalandeixeble
  • Frenchdisciplefrom Old French deciple
  • Italiandiscepolo
  • Englishdisciplefrom Old English discipul
  • Portuguesediscípulofrom Old Galician-Portuguese sêpolo
  • Romaniandiscipol
  • Spanishdiscípulo
  • Asturiandiscípulu
  • Dutchdiscipelfrom Old French deciple
  • Irishdeisceabalfrom Old Irish deiscipul

Quick answers

What does discipulus mean in Latin?
discipulus, a noun, means “student, pupil, disciple, schoolboy; cadet (student in a military school or state program)”.
What is the genitive of discipulus?
The genitive singular is discipulī. discipulus is masculine, second declension.
How do you pronounce discipulus?
In classical Latin, [dɪsˈkɪ.pʊ.ɫʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [diʃˈʃiː.pu.lus].