homunculus

See also: Homunculus

English

Alternative forms

• homonculus

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin homunculus, diminutive of homō (“man”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /həˈmʌŋkjələs/, /hoʊˈmʌŋkjələs/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

homunculus (plural homunculi)

1. A miniature man, once imagined by spermists to be present in human sperm.
2. The nerve map of the human body that exists on the parietal lobe of the human brain.

Citations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:homunculus.

Derived terms

• cortical homunculus

Related terms

• homo
• homunculine

Translations

little man

• Catalan: homuncle m
• Dutch: ventje (nl) n
• German: Homunkulus (de) m
• Latin: homunculus (la) n
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: homúnculo (pt) m
• Russian: гому́нкул (ru) m (gomúnkul), гому́нкулус (ru) m (gomúnkulus)
• Spanish: homúnculo (es) m

See also

• manikin

References

• “homunculus”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “homunculus”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “homunculus”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

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Latin

Etymology

From homō, hominis +‎ -culus.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /hoˈmun.ku.lus/, [hɔˈmʊŋkʊɫ̪ʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /oˈmun.ku.lus/, [oˈmuŋkulus]

Noun

homunculus m (genitive homunculī); second declension

1. diminutive of homō (“man”).
2. a little or weak man, homunculus
3. (rare) a dwarf

Declension

Second-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	homunculus	homunculī
Genitive	homunculī	homunculōrum
Dative	homunculō	homunculīs
Accusative	homunculum	homunculōs
Ablative	homunculō	homunculīs
Vocative	homuncule	homunculī

References

• “homunculus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “homunculus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• homunculus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.