culus

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *kuH-l-, zero-grade without s-mobile form of *(s)kewH- (“to cover”). Cognates include Old Irish cúl (“bottom”), Lithuanian kẽvalas (“skin, cover”) and indirectly Old English hȳd (English hide). Related to obscūrus (“dark, obscure”) and cutis (“hide”).

Noun

cūlus (genitive cūlī); m, second declension

1. (vulgar) The anus, arse; the posterior, buttocks
   • Catullus poem 97 (translation adapted by H.J.Walker, which can be viewed here)

     Non (ita me di ament) quicquam referre putaui,

     utrumne os an culum olfacerem Aemilio.

     I swear by the gods I didn't think it mattered one straw,

     whether I sniffed Aemilius's head or his arse.

Inflection

Number	Singular	Plural
nominative	cūlus	cūlī
genitive	cūlī	cūlōrum
dative	cūlō	cūlīs
accusative	cūlum	cūlōs
ablative	cūlō	cūlīs
vocative	cūle	cūlī

Descendants

Aromanian: cur Catalan: cul Dalmatian: čol French: cul, culotte Friulian: cûl Galician: cu Ido: kulo Italian: culo

Megleno-Romanian: cur Portuguese: cu Romanian: cur Romansch: tgil Sardinian: cólu, cu, culu Sicilian: culu Spanish: culo Vegliot: čol