LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

speculum

speculum n (genitive speculī)
Classical[ˈspɛ.kʊ.ɫũː]Ecclesiastical[ˈspɛː.ku.lum]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. neutermirror, looking-glass

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

in speculō tē ipsum vidēs: imāginem tuam reddit.
speculum -ī n — in Mille Verba, Domus et Familia

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativespeculumspecula
genitivespeculīspeculōrum
dativespeculōspeculīs
accusativespeculumspecula
ablativespeculōspeculīs
vocativespeculumspecula

spĕcŭlum, i, n. specio; hence, that in which one sees himself.
I. Lit., a looking-glass, mirror (usually made of polished metal): speculum a speciendo, quod ibi se spectant, Varr. L. L. 5, § 129 Müll.; cf.: speculum, quod in eo specimus imaginem, id. ib. 6, § 82: homines sibi habere speculum, ubi os contemplarent suom, etc., Plaut. Ep. 3, 3, 2: quid opu'st speculo tibi, quae tute speculo speculum es maximum? id. Most. 1, 3, 94; cf. id. Men. 5, 9, 3: speculi imago, Lucr. 4, 279; cf. id. 4, 331: speculis apparent simulacra, id. 4, 98: speculorum levitas, Cic. Univ. 14: quotiens te in speculo videris alterum, Hor. C. 4, 10, 6: ut in speculo rugas aspexit aniles, Ov. M. 15, 232: se in speculo contemplari, App. Mag. p. 283, 4: cava specula, id. ib. p. 284, 2 et saep.— On the material and use of mirrors, v. Plin. 33, 9, 45, § 128; 34, 17, 48, § 160; 37, 5, 16, § 64; 37, 7, 25, § 97; Stat. S. 3, 4, 94; Sen. Q. N. 1, 17.—With tanquam, ut, etc.: inspicere, tamquam in speculum, in vitas omnium, Ter. Ad. 3, 3, 61; 3, 3, 74; Cic. Pis. 29, 71; id. Fin. 5, 22, 61; id. Rep. 2, 42, 69.—
B. Poet., transf., of the mirror-like smoothness of water: lympharum in speculo, Phaedr. 1, 4, 3.—
II. Trop., a mirror, copy, imitation (rare; more freq. connected with tamquam or ut, etc.; v. supra, I.): futuri temporis, Lucr. 3, 974; 4, 166: infantes et bestias putat specula esse naturae, Cic. Fin. 2, 10, 32; cf. corresp. with imago, Plaut. Men. 5, 9, 3: omne opus Vergilianum de quodam Homerici operis speculo formatum est, Macr. S. 5, 2 med.

Origins

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

By surface analysis, speciō (“look at”) + -ulum (instrument suffix). Possibly from pre-Latin *spektlom, with the ending derived from the Proto-Indo-European instrument noun suffix *-tlom (see -culum). Alternatively from pre-Latin *spekelom or *spekolom, with the neuter form of the agent noun suffix -ulus. Compare spectrum.

Descendants
  • Catalanespècul
  • Englishspeculum
  • Frenchspéculum
  • Italianspecolo
  • Portugueseespéculo
  • Romanianspecul
  • Spanishespéculo
  • Vulgar Latinspeclum

In English words that came into English from speculum

  • speculumspeculum
  • specularspeculāris
  • specillumspecillum

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

AntiquitiesSpeculumSpeculum (κάτοπτρον, ἔσοπτρον, ἔνοπτρον), a mirror. The mirrors of the Greeks, Romans, and Etruscans consisted almost invariably of small circular dis…

Quick answers

What does speculum mean in Latin?
speculum, a noun, means “mirror, looking-glass”.
What is the genitive of speculum?
The genitive singular is speculī. speculum is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce speculum?
In classical Latin, [ˈspɛ.kʊ.ɫũː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈspɛː.ku.lum].
Where does speculum come from?
Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- → Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti → Proto-Italic *spekjō → Latin speculum.
Which English words come from speculum?
English words that go back to Latin speculum include speculum, specular and specillum.