What is the Latin word for column?

The usual Latin words for “column” are columna, signum, statua; also agmen, pāgina, scāpus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“column” in Latin

columnacolumn, pillar; waterspout; column as in a book signumvisible indication: sign, mark, signal; seal, signet; emblem, ensign statuaa statue, especially one made of metal agmena train of something; multitude, host, crowd, flock; an army, column, troop, band; line or rank of troops; stream, cours pāginaa pageant (usu. in a cycle of mystery plays, esp. as performed by guild of craftsmen)scāpusstem, stalk (of a plant); shaft (or similar upright column)capitulumA head-like object or structure.spīrōto breathe, draw breath, respire; to blow, breathe, burst forth; to breathe out, exhale, emit basisa pedestal, foot, base; the base of a triangle, chord of an arc; the lowest part of the shaft of a column

The English word column itself goes back to Latin columen, through columna.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

column

columna: signum: statua (if erected in honor of anybody): a small column, columella: a colossal stone column, moles lapidea: the shaft of a column, scapus: the neck of a column, hypotrachelium (ὑποτραχήλιον): the capital, capitulum: the foot of a capital, spira (of the columna; the lower part of it was plinthus, πκίνθος): basis (βάσις, of the statua; Vid: above for difference between columna and statua): the pedestal, stylobates (στυλοβάτης): the order of columns, genus columnarum: the Doric order, columnae Doricae: Doricum genus columnarum: the arrangement of columns.*columnarum dispositio: the interval between columns, intercolumnium: a tax on columns, columnarium (Caes., B.C, 3, 32): the supporting by columns, colnmnatio (late): supported by columns, columnatus (Varr.).

(A military) (A military) column, pars exercitus: agmen (when on the march): in two, three, etc., columns, bipartito, tripartito (e.g., to attack, signa inferre): to march up in three in three columns, tripartito agmine, or diviso in tres partes exercitu, incedere: to approach in three columns, triplici acie instructa venire: to march in three columns, triplici acie instructa proficisci: by columns, exercitu in partes diviso (e.g., to march up, incedere).

Of a book, pagina.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for column?: The usual Latin words for “column” are columna, signum, statua; also agmen, pāgina, scāpus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.