LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinesecond declension

versiculus

versiculus m (genitive versiculī)
Classical[wɛrˈsɪ.kʊ.ɫʊs]Ecclesiastical[verˈsiː.ku.lus]

Meaning

  1. masculineshort verse, single line (of prose or poetry)
  2. in pluralmasculinehumble lines, unpretentious verses

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeversiculusversiculī
genitiveversiculīversiculōrum
dativeversiculōversiculīs
accusativeversiculumversiculōs
ablativeversiculōversiculīs
vocativeversiculeversiculī

versĭcŭlus, i, m. dim. versus,
I. a little line, a mere line: tribusne versiculis his temporibus Brutus ad me? Nihil scripsissem potius. Cic. Ep. ad Brut. 1, 14, 1: epistulae versiculum, id. Att. 5, 1, 3: cum senatus ei commiserit, ut videret, ne quid res publica detrimenti caperet: quo uno versiculo satis armati semper consules fuerunt, id. Mil. 26, 70; cf. id. Leg. 2, 6, 14.—
II. Esp., of poetry, a little verse, verslet, line: apud quos (comicos poëtas), nisi quod versiculi sunt, nihil est aliud cottidiani dissimile sermonis, Cic. Or. 20, 67: nonne conpensabit cum uno versiculo tot mea volumina laudum suarum? id. Pis. 30, 75; Quint. 9, 4, 52; Cat. 16, 3; 16, 6; Hor. Epod. 11, 2; id. S. 1, 2, 109; 1, 10, 32; 1, 10, 58; Ov. H. 20, 238.

Origins

Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Indo-European *-elós Proto-Italic *-elos Proto-Italic *-kelos Latin -culus Latin versiculus From versus (“verse”) + -culus (diminutive suffix).

Descendants
  • Englishversicle
  • Englishversiculus
  • Italianversicolo
  • Englishversiculefrom Old French versicule
  • Portugueseversículo
  • Spanishversículo
  • Asturianversículu
  • Cebuanobersikulofrom Spanish versículo
  • Tagalogbersikulofrom Spanish versículo

Quick answers

What does versiculus mean in Latin?
versiculus, a noun, means “short verse, single line (of prose or poetry); humble lines, unpretentious verses”.
What is the genitive of versiculus?
The genitive singular is versiculī. versiculus is masculine, second declension.
How do you pronounce versiculus?
In classical Latin, [wɛrˈsɪ.kʊ.ɫʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [verˈsiː.ku.lus].