LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

sportula

sportula f (genitive sportulae)
Classical[ˈspɔr.tʊ.ɫa]Ecclesiastical[ˈspɔr.tu.la]

Meaning

  1. femininea small basket or hamper
  2. femininea dole (a daily allocation of food or money, especially as given by patrons to their clients)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativesportulasportulae
genitivesportulaesportulārum
dativesportulaesportulīs
accusativesportulamsportulās
ablativesportulāsportulīs
vocativesportulasportulae

sportŭla, ae, f. dim. id..
I. Lit., a little basket: sportulam cape atque argentum, Plaut. Men. 1, 4, 1; id. Curc. 2, 3, 10; id. Stich. 2, 1, 17; App. M. 1, p. 113, 39; Ascon. ad Cic. Verr. 1, 8.—In such little baskets it was customary for a great man to distribute presents of food or money to the mass of his clients, Juv. 1, 95; 3, 249; Suet. Ner. 16; Mart. 3, 14, 3; 14, 125, 2; 10, 27, 3.—Hence, the emperor Claudius called the brief games which he gave to the people sportulae, acc. to Suet. Claud. 21.— Prov.: sportulam furunculus captat, i. e. snatches at others' little property, Tert. adv. Marc. 3, 16.—
II. Transf., a gift, present, in gen., Plin. Ep. 2, 14, 4; 2, 10, 118; Dig. 30, 1, 117; ib. 50, 2, 6; Cod. Just. 12, 21, 2.

Origins

Proto-Indo-European *sper-der. Latin sporta Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Indo-European *-elós Proto-Italic *-elos Latin -ulus Latin -ula Latin sportula From sporta (“hamper or basket”) + -ula.

Descendants
  • Englishsportule
  • Englishsportula
  • Frenchsportule
  • GermanSportel
  • Portugueseespórtula
  • Turkishbartılfrom Byzantine Greek σπόρτυλον
  • Turkishpartılfrom Byzantine Greek σπόρτυλον
  • Classical Syriacܐܣܦܪܛܘܠܐfrom Byzantine Greek σπόρτυλον
  • Classical Syriacܐܣܦܘܪܛܠܘܢfrom Byzantine Greek σπόρτυλον
  • Classical Syriacܐܣܦܘܪܛܘܠܘܢfrom Byzantine Greek σπόρτυλον

In English words that came into English from sportula

  • sportulasportula

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

AntiquitiesSportulaSportula the diminutive from sporta = σπυρίς, a wicker basket. In the days of Roman freedom clients were in the habit of testifying respect for their …

Quick answers

What does sportula mean in Latin?
sportula, a noun, means “a small basket or hamper; a dole (a daily allocation of food or money, especially as given by patrons to their clients)”.
What is the genitive of sportula?
The genitive singular is sportulae. sportula is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce sportula?
In classical Latin, [ˈspɔr.tʊ.ɫa]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈspɔr.tu.la].