LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

spectāculum

spectāculum n (genitive spectāculī)
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. show, spectacle
  2. a place from which shows are witnessed, spectator's seat
  3. public or civic event

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

quod multī ūnā spectant: lūdī, fābulae, mūnera gladiātōrum.
spectāculum -ī n — in Mille Verba, ch. Lūdī et Ōtium
id quod spectātur
spectāculum -ī (n) — in Epistulae, ch. 4

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativespectāculumspectācula
spectācla
genitivespectāculī
spectāclī		spectāculōrum
spectāclōrum
dativespectāculō
spectāclō		spectāculīs
spectāclīs
accusativespectāculumspectācula
spectācla
ablativespectāculō
spectāclō		spectāculīs
spectāclīs
vocativespectāculumspectācula
spectācla

spectācŭlum (contr. spectāclum, Prop. 4 (5), 8, 21.and 56), i, n. specto,
I. a show, sight, spectacle (class.).
I. In gen.: lepidum spectaculum, Plaut. Poen. 1, 1, 81: superarum rerum atque caelestium, Cic. N. D. 2, 56, 140: bis terque mutatae dapis, Hor. Epod. 5, 34: potius quam hoc spectaculum viderem, Cic. Mil. 38, 103: capere oblatae spectacula praedae, Ov. M. 3, 246; cf. id. ib. 7, 780: scorti procacis, Liv. 39, 43: Euripi, id. 45, 27: non hoc ista sibi tempus spectacula poscit, Verg. A. 6, 37: spectaclum ipsa sedens, i. e. exposed to public view, in the sight of all, Prop. 4 (5), 8, 21. neque hoc parentes Effugerit spectaculum, Hor. Epod. 5, 102.—Esp. in the phrases: spectaculum (alicui) praebere, spectaculum (spectaculo) esse alicui: circuitus solis et lunae spectaculum hominibus praebent, Cic. N. D. 2, 62, 155; so, praebere, Liv. 45, 28: praebent spectacula capti, Ov. A. A. 2, 581: o spectaculum illud hominibus luctuosum, cedere e patriā servatorem ejus, manere in patriā perditores! Cic. Phil. 10, 4, 8; cf. id. Corn. 1, § 19: homini non amico nostra incommoda spectaculo esse nolim, id. Att. 10, 2, 2: insequitur acies ornata armataque, ut hostium quoque magnificum spectaculum esset, Liv. 10, 40 fin.—
II. In partic.
A. Lit., in the theatre, circus, etc., a public sight or show, a stageplay, spectacle (cf.: munus, ludi, fabula): spectacula sunt tributim data, Cic. Mur. 34, 72: apparatissimum, id. Phil. 1, 15, 36: gladiatorium, Liv. 39, 42: gladiatorum, id. 28, 21 fin.; Plin. 2, 26, 25, § 96: circi, Liv. 7, 2: scenae, Ov. A. A. 3, 351: ludorum, Suet. Aug. 14: athletarum, id. ib. 44; id. Ner. 12: naumachiae, id. Caes. 44: nondum commisso spectaculo, Liv. 2, 36, 1: interesse spectaculo, id. 2, 38, 4: inter matutina harenae spectacula, Sen. Ira, 3, 43, 2: meridianum, id. Ep. 7, 3.—
B. Transf., the place whence plays are witnessed, the seats of the spectators, seats, places in the theatre, the amphitheatre: spectacula ruunt, Plaut. Curc. 5, 2, 47: ex omnibus spectaculis plausus est excitatus, Cic. Sest. 58, 124: resonant spectacula plausu, Ov. M. 10, 668: loca divisa patribus equitibusque, ubi spectacula sibi quisque facerent, Liv. 1, 35, 8: spectaculorum gradus, Tac. A. 14, 13: spectaculis detractus et in harenam deductus, Suet. Calig. 35; id. Dom. 10.—
2. In gen., the theatre: ingressum spectacula, Suet. Calig. 35: in caelum trabibus spectacula textis surgere, Calp. Ecl. 7, 23.—
3. The spectators: spectacula tantum este, viri, Sil. 2, 230: virtutis, id. 8, 556.—
C. A wonder, miracle: spectacula septem, the seven wonders of the world: in septem spectaculis nominari, Vitr. 2, 8, 11: numerari inter septem omnium terrarum spectacula, Gell. 10, 18, 4.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*speḱ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*spéḱyeti
  3. Proto-Italic*spekjō
  4. Latinspectāculum

Latin spectō Latin -culum Latin spectāculum From spectō (“to watch, observe, look at, see”) + -culum.

Descendants
  • Catalanespectacle
  • Englishspectaculum
  • GermanSpektakel
  • Italianspettacolo
  • Frenchspectaclefrom Middle French spectacle
  • Romanianspectaculfrom Middle French spectacle
  • Romanianspectacolfrom Middle French spectacle
  • Englishspectaclefrom Middle French spectacle
  • Portugueseespetáculo
  • Spanishespectáculo

In English words that came into English from spectāculum

  • spectaclespectāculum
  • spectacularspectāculum

Quick answers

What does spectāculum mean in Latin?
spectāculum, a noun, means “show, spectacle; a place from which shows are witnessed, spectator's seat; public or civic event”.
What is the genitive of spectāculum?
The genitive singular is spectāculī. spectāculum is neuter, second declension.
Where does spectāculum come from?
Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- → Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti → Proto-Italic *spekjō → Latin spectāculum.