LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

specula1

specula f (genitive speculae)
Classical[ˈspɛ.kʊ.ɫa]Ecclesiastical[ˈspɛː.ku.la]

Meaning

  1. femininewatchtower, lookout

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

locus altus prōspectūs
specula -ae (f) — in Aeneis, ch. 12

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativespeculaspeculae
genitivespeculaespeculārum
dativespeculaespeculīs
accusativespeculamspeculās
ablativespeculāspeculīs
vocativespeculaspeculae

spĕcŭla, ae, f. id..
I. A high place from which to look out, a look-out, watch-tower: specula, de quo prospicimus, Varr. L. L. 6, § 82 Müll.: praedonum adventum significabat ignis e speculā sublatus, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 35, § 93: dat signum speculā ab altā, Verg. A. 3, 239; Luc. 6, 279: tamquam ex aliquā speculā prospexi tempestatem futuram, Cic. Fam. 4, 3, 1; id. Phil. 7, 7, 19; Col. 7, 3 fin. al.—Plur., Liv. 29, 23' specularum significationem Sinon invenit, Plin. 7, 56, 57, § 202; Stat. Th. 6, 547; App. de Mundo, p. 69, 40.—*
B. Trop., a watchtower: stetit Caesar in illā amicitiae speculā, Plin. Pan. 86, 4.—
II. In gen.
A. In speculis esse, to be on the watch or lookout: nunc homines in speculis sunt, observant, quemadmodum sese unusquisque vestrum gerat, Cic. Verr. 1, 16, 46; cf. id. Deiot. 8, 22: in speculis omnis Abydos erat, Ov. H. (17), 18, 12: in speculis atque insidiis relicti, Cic. Mur. 37, 79: diem unum in speculis fuit, Liv. 34, 26: gentis paratas pendere in speculis, Claud. B. Get. 569.—
B. Poet., like σκοπιά, a high place, height, eminence: in speculis summoque in vertice montis Planities ignota jacet, Verg. A. 11, 526; so of the summits of mountains, id. E. 8, 59; id. A. 10, 454; of the high walls of a city, id. ib. 11, 877; 4, 586.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*speḱ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*spéḱyeti
  3. Proto-Italic*spekjō
  4. Old Latinspeciō
  5. Latinspecula

From Old Latin speciō + -ula (diminutive suffix) or -ula (instrument suffix); it is disputed whether these suffixes have the same ultimate origin. Compare speculum (“mirror”) (with similar formation, but different meaning and gender) and scopulus, from the same root, but through Ancient Greek.

noun · femininefirst declension
spēcula2
spēcula f (genitive spēculae)
Classical[ˈspeː.kʊ.ɫa]Ecclesiastical[ˈspɛː.ku.la]

Meaning

  1. slight hope

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativespēculaspēculae
genitivespēculaespēculārum
dativespēculaespēculīs
accusativespēculamspēculās
ablativespēculāspēculīs
vocativespēculaspēculae

spēcŭla, ae, f. dim. spes; cf. recula, from res,
I. a slight hope (rare but class.): estne quid in te speculae? Plaut. Pers. 2, 5, 9; id. Cas. 2, 4, 27: ulla nec specula est, id. Rud. 3, 3, 3; Cic. Clu. 26, 72: oblectabar speculā, id. Fam. 2, 16, 5: cassae speculae renuntias fortiter, App. M. 6, p. 175, 17: tenui speculā solabar clades ultimas, id. ib. 10, p. 253, 5.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*speh₁-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*spéh₁s
  3. Proto-Italic*spēs
  4. Latinspēcula

Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Indo-European *-elós Proto-Italic *-elos Proto-Italic *-kelos Latin -culus Latin spēcula From spēs + -culus.

Quick answers

What does specula mean in Latin?
specula, a noun, means “watchtower, lookout”.
What is the genitive of specula?
The genitive singular is speculae. specula is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce specula?
In classical Latin, [ˈspɛ.kʊ.ɫa]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈspɛː.ku.la].
Where does specula come from?
Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- → Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti → Proto-Italic *spekjō → Old Latin speciō → Latin specula.