lacus

See also: lāčus

Esperanto

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlat͡sus/

• Audio:

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• Rhymes: -at͡sus
• Syllabification: la‧cus

Verb

lacus

1. conditional of laci

Latin

Etymology

According to De Vaan, from Proto-Italic *lakus, from Proto-Indo-European *lókus (“lake, pool”); the reason for the change to *a is debated, but perhaps from velarized *[ɫ]. Regarding this proposed phonological development, Schrijver notes that the form lacus may be the only positive evidence for such a sound law, rendering the existence of the rule uncertain. Cognate with Ancient Greek λάκκος (lákkos, “cistern, tank, pit”) and Old English lagu (“sea, ocean, flood”). More at lay.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈɫa.kʊs]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈlaː.kus]

Noun

lacus m (genitive lacūs); fourth declension

1. a lake, pond, basin; reservoir
2. a tank, tub, sink, vat, wine-vat
   • 8 CE, Ovidius, Fasti 3.558:

     inque cavōs ierant tertia musta lacūs

     and three times had the must been poured into the hollow wine-vats
     (The Latin word lacus, meaning ‘‘hollow’’ or ‘‘lake’’, also described a container used in ancient winemaking. See also mustum and must.)

Declension

Fourth-declension noun (dative/ablative plural in -ubus).

	singular	plural
nominative	lacus	lacūs
genitive	lacūs	lacuum
dative	lacuī	lacubus
accusative	lacum	lacūs
ablative	lacū	lacubus
vocative	lacus	lacūs

Hyponyms

• Lacūs Magnī

Derived terms

• laculātus
• lacūna
• lacusculus

Descendants

• Aragonese: laco
• Aromanian: lac
• Asturian: llagu
• Basque: laku
• Catalan: llac
• Corsican: lagu
• Dalmatian: lac
• Emilian: lèg
• Esperanto: lago
• Franco-Provençal: lèc
• Old French: lai
• →? Old French: lac
  • Middle French: lac
    • French: lac
  • Norman: lac (Jersey)
  • → Middle English: lac
• Old Galician-Portuguese: lago
  • Galician: lago
  • Portuguese: lago
• Old Spanish: lago
  • Spanish: lago
• Friulian: lâc
• Italian: lago
• Kabuverdianu: lagu
• Ligurian: lâgo
• Lombard: lagh
• Maltese: lag
• Neapolitan: laco
• Occitan: lac
• Papiamentu: lago
• Romanian: lac
• Romansh: lai
• Sardinian: lagu
• Sicilian: lacu
• Venetan: łago

Further reading

• “lacus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “lacus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• "lacus", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “lacus”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• “lacus”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper’s Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “lacus”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin