LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

virgula

virgula f (genitive virgulae)
Classical[ˈwɪr.ɡʊ.ɫa]Ecclesiastical[ˈvir.ɡu.la]

Meaning

  1. femininea small rod, stick, wand, or staff
  2. Medieval Latinfemininethe slash mark ⟨/⟩, particularly in its medieval use as a scratch comma
  3. femininetender shoot, tendril

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativevirgulavirgulae
genitivevirgulaevirgulārum
dativevirgulaevirgulīs
accusativevirgulamvirgulās
ablativevirgulāvirgulīs
vocativevirgulavirgulae

virgŭla, ae, f. dim. id.,
I. a little twig, a small rod, a wand, Nep. Thras. 4, 1; Cic. Phil. 8, 8, 23; Sen. Q. N. 1, 7, 1: divina, a divining-rod, Cic. Off. 1, 44, 158; also, the title of a work by Varro, ap. Non. p. 550, 12: censoria, a critical mark, as a sign of spuriousness (i. q. obelus), Quint. 1, 4, 3.—Of an accentual mark, Mart. Cap. 3, § 273.—Of a stripe on a garment, Schol. Juv. 8, 207.— Of a slight column of smoke, Vulg. Cant. 3, 6.

Origins

From virga (“twig, branch”) + -ula. As a typographic mark, from its resemblance and size.

Descendants
  • Catalanvérgola
  • Italianvergola
  • Catalanvírgula
  • GermanVirgel
  • Italianvirgola
  • Frenchvirgulefrom Middle French virgule
  • Englishvirgulefrom Middle French virgule
  • Romanianvirgulăfrom Middle French virgule
  • Portuguesevírgula
  • Spanishvírgula

Quick answers

What does virgula mean in Latin?
virgula, a noun, means “a small rod, stick, wand, or staff; the slash mark ⟨/⟩, particularly in its medieval use as a scratch comma; tender shoot, tendril”.
What is the genitive of virgula?
The genitive singular is virgulae. virgula is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce virgula?
In classical Latin, [ˈwɪr.ɡʊ.ɫa]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈvir.ɡu.la].