manuculus

Meaning

1. Late Latinmasculinehandful

Origins

Modification of earlier *manupulus, itself a modification of Classical Latin manipulus, from manus f (“hand”) and -pleō (“fill”). The modified form can be interpreted as ending in the diminutive termination -uculus. Attested in the prefixed form ⟨commanuculus⟩, in the syncopated form ⟨manuclus⟩ in a Seneca manuscript, and in the misspelled form ⟨mamaculus⟩ in a gloss from late antiquity.