LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

gubernāculum

gubernāculum n (genitive gubernāculī)
Classical[ɡʊ.bɛrˈnaː.kʊ.ɫũː]Ecclesiastical[ɡu.berˈnaː.ku.lum]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. the steering-oar, helm, rudder
    nāvis cum mālō, vēlīs et gubernāculōboat with a mast, sails and a rudder
  2. management

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

quō nāvis regitur; ad puppim est.
gubernāculum -ī n — in Mille Verba, Mare et Nāvēs
temō quō nāvis regitur
gubernāculum -ī (n) — in Epistulae, ch. 15

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativegubernāculumgubernācula
genitivegubernāculīgubernāculōrum
dativegubernāculōgubernāculīs
accusativegubernāculumgubernācula
ablativegubernāculōgubernāculīs
vocativegubernāculumgubernācula

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

gubernaculum tractare
to steer.
gubernacula rei publicae tractare
to hold the reins of government.
ad gubernacula (metaph. only in plur.) rei publicae sedere
to hold the reins of government.

gŭbernācŭlum (poet. contr. gŭ-bernāclum, Lucr. 4, 904; Verg. A. 5, 176; 859; 6, 349 al.), i, n. guberno,
I. a helm, rudder (cf. clavus).
I. Lit.: hominis, non sapientis inventa sunt navigia, additis a tergo gubernaculis, quae huc atque illuc cursum navigii torqueant: exemplum a piscibus tractum, qui cauda reguntur, etc., Sen. Ep. 90; cf.: piscium meatus gubernaculi modo regunt (caudae), Plin. 11, 50, 111, § 264: ut cruribus velut gubernaculis demissis cursum dirigeret, Front. 3, 13, 6: hic ille naufragus ad gubernaculum accessit, et navi, quoad potuit, est opitulatus, Cic. Inv. 2, 51, 154: ipse gubernaclo rector subit, ipse magister, Verg. A. 5, 176.—
II. Transf., guidance, direction; esp. of the state, government (usually in plur.): clavum tanti imperii tenere et gubernacula rei publicae tractare, Cic. Sest. 9, 20; cf.: qui ad gubernacula rei publicae sedere debebant, id. Rosc. Am. 18, 51: repelli a gubernaculis civitatum, id. de Or. 1, 11, 46: recedere a gubernaculis, id. Fam. 16, 27, 1: ad gubernacula rei publicae accedere, Liv. 4, 3, 17: quis ad gubernacula sedeat summa cura providendum, id. 24, 8, 13: abicere gubernacula imperii, Val. Max. 7, 6, 1: transferre ad aliquem fortunarum suarum gubernacula, Nazar. Pan. Const. 27, 2: temperare gubernacula vitae, Plin. 11, 37, 88, § 219.—In sing.: (rare) exercitus non habilis gubernaculo, Vell. 2, 113, 2: gubernaculum rei publicae tenere, Lact. 1, 1, 14.

Origins

Ancient Greek κυβερνάω (kubernáō)bor. Latin gubernō Latin -culum Latin gubernāculum From gubernō (“to steer”) + -culum (suffix forming instrument nouns).

Descendants
  • Englishgubernaculum
  • Catalangovernall
  • Frenchgouvernailfrom Old French governail
  • Englishgovernailfrom Old French governail
  • Italiangovernalefrom Old Occitan governal
  • Italiangovernallefrom Old Occitan governal
  • Portuguesegovernalhefrom Old Occitan governal
  • Portuguesegovernalhofrom Old Galician-Portuguese governallo
  • Spanishgovernallofrom Old Spanish governallo
  • Middle Scotsgovernallfrom Old French governail

Quick answers

What does gubernāculum mean in Latin?
gubernāculum, a noun, means “the steering-oar, helm, rudder; management”.
What is the genitive of gubernāculum?
The genitive singular is gubernāculī. gubernāculum is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce gubernāculum?
In classical Latin, [ɡʊ.bɛrˈnaː.kʊ.ɫũː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ɡu.berˈnaː.ku.lum].