LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

scapulae

scapulae f pl (genitive scapulārum)
Classical[ˈska.pʊ.ɫae̯]Ecclesiastical[ˈskaː.pu.le]

Meaning

  1. femininepluralplural onlyshoulder blades

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominative—scapulae
genitive—scapulārum
dative—scapulīs
accusative—scapulās
ablative—scapulīs
vocative—scapulae

scăpŭlae, ārum, f.,
I. the shoulder-blades, in men and animals.
I. Lit., Cels. 8, 1 med.; Plin. 21, 21, 89, § 155; 30, 14, 43, § 125; Ov. A. A. 3, 273; Varr. R. R. 2, 7, 5; Plin. 11, 29, 35, § 107 al.—
II. Transf.
A. The shoulders, back, in gen.: qui saepe ante in nostras scapulas cicatrices indiderunt, have cut me over the shoulders, Plaut. As. 3, 2, 7; 2, 2, 49; id. Cas. 5, 3, 14; id. Ep. 1, 2, 22; id. Poen. 1, 1, 25; id. Pers. 1, 1, 32; id. Trin. 4, 3, 2; id. Truc. 4, 3, 19; Ter. Phorm. 1, 2, 26; Sen. Ira, 3, 12, 5: pro scapulis cum dicit Cato, significat pro injuriă verberum. Nam complures leges erant in cives rogatae, quibus sanciebatur poena verberum, etc., Fest. p. 234 Müll.—
B. Of inanim. things: machinae, shoulder-pieces, cheeks, Vitr. 10, 3: montium, the higher ridges, Tert. Pall. 2.—
C. Sing.: scăpŭla, ae, the shoulder (late Lat.): panem imposuit scapulae ejus, Vulg. Gen. 21, 14; id. Zach. 7, 11.

Origins

From Proto-Italic *skapelā. Maybe ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kap-, a root common to Ancient Greek σκάπτω (skáptō, “to dig, delve”), σκαπάνη (skapánē, “spade, mattock”), Latvian kaplis (“hoe”) and Albanian kep (“to chisel”).

Quick answers

What does scapulae mean in Latin?
scapulae, a noun, means “shoulder blades”.
What is the genitive of scapulae?
The genitive singular is scapulārum. scapulae is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce scapulae?
In classical Latin, [ˈska.pʊ.ɫae̯]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈskaː.pu.le].