LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

vestibulum

vestibulum n (genitive vestibulī)
Classical[wɛsˈtɪ.bʊ.ɫũː]Ecclesiastical[vesˈtiː.bu.lum]

Meaning

  1. literallyneuterenclosed space between the entrance of a house and the street, forecourt, entrance court
  2. literallyneuterentrance (to anything)
  3. figurativelyneuterbeginning
    in vestibulo templi DianaeIn the vestibule of Diana's temple27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita I.45

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

prīma pars ante iānuam
vestibulum -ī (n) — in Aeneis, ch. 14

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativevestibulumvestibula
genitivevestibulīvestibulōrum
dativevestibulōvestibulīs
accusativevestibulumvestibula
ablativevestibulōvestibulīs
vocativevestibulumvestibula

vestĭbŭlum, i, n. perh. for vesti-bulum, kindr. with Sanscr. vas, habitare, commorari; cf. Vesta,
I. the enclosed space between the entrance of a house and the street, a fore-court, entrance-court (cf. atrium).
I. Lit., Gell. 16, 5, 2; Vitr. 6, 8; Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 132; Cic. Caecin. 12, 35; Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 66, § 160; id. Cael. 26, 62; Quint. 11, 2, 23; Ov. F. 6, 303; Juv. 7, 126 al.—
B. Transf., in gen., an entrance to any thing: sepulcri, Cic. Leg. 2, 24, 61: castrorum, Liv. 25, 17, 5: columbarii, Varr. R. R. 3, 7, 4; cf. gallinarii, Col. 8, 3, 5; 8, 8, 3: alvearii, id. 9, 12, 1: urbis, Liv. 36, 22 fin.: Siciliae, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 66, § 170.—
II. Trop., an entrance, opening, beginning: vestibula nimirum honesta aditusque ad causam faciet illustres, Cic. Or. 15, 50: vestibulum modo artis alicujus ingredi, Quint. 1, 5, 7; cf. id. 8, praef. § 18; 9, 4, 10.

Origins

Uncertain. Possibilities include: * From vestiō (“to dress, clothe, vest”) + -bulum (“place, location”, nominal suffix). * From unattested *vestis ("a feeding") or *vestus ("fed"), from the Proto-Indo-European root *wes- (“to graze”). * For *verostabulum, from unattested *verus or *verum (“door”) (cf. aperiō) and stabulum. * From the root of verrō (“to sweep”) (compare vestīgium). * From unattested *vestis, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂wéstis, which is equivalent to Old English wist (“being,existence”). * From vestis + stabulum. * From vē- + stabulum.

Descendants
  • Catalanvestíbul
  • Englishvestibulum
  • Frenchvestibule
  • Englishvestibulefrom French vestibule
  • GermanVestibülfrom French vestibule
  • Romanianvestibulfrom French vestibule
  • Italianvestibolo
  • Portuguesevestíbulo
  • Spanishvestíbulo
  • Russianвестибюльfrom French vestibule

Quick answers

What does vestibulum mean in Latin?
vestibulum, a noun, means “enclosed space between the entrance of a house and the street, forecourt, entrance court; beginning”.
What is the genitive of vestibulum?
The genitive singular is vestibulī. vestibulum is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce vestibulum?
In classical Latin, [wɛsˈtɪ.bʊ.ɫũː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [vesˈtiː.bu.lum].