LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

pecūlium

pecūlium n (genitive pecūliī or pecūlī)
Classical[pɛˈkuː.li.ũː]Ecclesiastical[peˈkuː.li.um]

Meaning

  1. private property (originally in the form of cattle, but later in the form of savings)

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativepecūliumpecūlia
genitivepecūliī
pecūlī		pecūliōrum
dativepecūliōpecūliīs
accusativepecūliumpecūlia
ablativepecūliōpecūliīs
vocativepecūliumpecūlia

pĕcūlĭum, ii, n. pecus, lit.,
I. property in cattle; hence, as in early times all property consisted of cattle, in gen., property.
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: peculi sui prodigi (servi), Plaut. Most. 4, 1, 19: cupiditas peculii, Cic. Par. 5, 2 fin.: cura peculi, Verg. E. 1, 33 Serv.; Hor. A. P. 330.—
B. In partic., private property.
1. What the master of the house saves and lays by, money laid by, savings, Dig. 32, 1, 77.—
2. What a wife owns as her independent property, and over which her husband has no control, a private purse, paraphernalia, Dig. 23, 3, 9, § 3.—
3. That which is given by a father or master to his son, daughter, or slave, as his or her private property: frugi sum, nec potest peculium enumerari, Plaut. As. 2, 4, 91: adimere servis peculium, Varr. R. R. 1, 2, 17; 1, 17, 5: filii, Liv. 2, 41; cf. Sen. Ep. 11, 1: Juliam uxorem peculio concesso a patre praebitisque annuis, fraudavit, Suet. Tib. 50: cultis augere peculia servis, fees, Juv. 3, 189.—
4. Castrense, the private property of a son acquired by military service, with the consent of his father (profecticium), or by inheritance through his mother (adventicium); then called quasi castrense, Dig. 49, 17, 5 sqq.; Paul. Sent. 3, 4; cf. Dig. 37, 6, 1.—
5. = membrum virile, Plaut. Ps. 4, 7, 92; id. Most. 1, 3, 96; Petr. S. 8; Lampr. Elag. 9; cf. peculiatus.—
II. Trop., that which belongs to one's self, one's own.—Of a letter: sine ullo ad me peculio veniet? without any thing for myself, Sen. Ep. 12, 9.—Of the people of lsrael: erunt mihi, in die quā ego facio, in peculium, Vulg. Mal. 3, 17.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*peḱ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*péḱu
  3. Proto-Italic*peku
  4. Latinpecūlium

Latin *pecūlis Latin peculium From pecū, via an unattested adjective *pecūlis (“belonging to one's livestock/property, own”).

Elsewhere
  • Catalanpeculi
  • Frenchpécule
  • Italianpeculio
  • Occitanpeculi
  • Portuguesepecúlio
  • Portuguesepegulho
  • Romanianpeculiu
  • Sardinianpeculiu
  • Sardinianpecuiu
  • Spanishpeculio
Italo-Romance
  • Italianpecuglio
Balkano-Romance
  • Aromanianpiculj
  • Aromanianpiculjiu
Ibero-Romance
  • Aragonesepegullo

In English words that came into English from pecūlium

  • peculiarpecūliāris
  • peculiumpecūlium
  • peculatorpecūlātor

Quick answers

What does pecūlium mean in Latin?
pecūlium, a noun, means “private property (originally in the form of cattle, but later in the form of savings)”.
What is the genitive of pecūlium?
The genitive singular is pecūliī. pecūlium is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce pecūlium?
In classical Latin, [pɛˈkuː.li.ũː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [peˈkuː.li.um].
Where does pecūlium come from?
Proto-Indo-European *peḱ- → Proto-Indo-European *péḱu → Proto-Italic *peku → Latin pecūlium.
Which English words come from pecūlium?
English words that go back to Latin pecūlium include peculium, peculiar and peculator.