latrunculus

Latin

Etymology

From latrō, latrōnis (“thief”) +‎ -culus.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ɫaˈtrʊŋ.kʊ.ɫʊs]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [laˈtruŋ.ku.lus]
• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ɫatˈrʊŋ.kʊ.ɫʊs]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [latˈruŋ.ku.lus]

Noun

latrunculus m (genitive latrunculī); second declension

1. highwayman, robber.

   Synonyms: praedō, latrō, vargus

2. a man in the Ancient Roman boardgame of ludus latrunculorum, extended to pieces in other games such as chess and draughts.

Declension

Second-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	latrunculus	latrunculī
genitive	latrunculī	latrunculōrum
dative	latrunculō	latrunculīs
accusative	latrunculum	latrunculōs
ablative	latrunculō	latrunculīs
vocative	latruncule	latrunculī

See also

Chess pieces in Latin · latrunculī, mīlitēs scaccōrum (layout · text)
rēx	rēgīna	turris	sagittifer	eques	pedes

References

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

Further reading

Ludus latrunculorum on Wikipedia.Wikipedia