-culus

Rebracketing of diminutive suffix -lus on nouns ending in -cus, used freely.

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ku.lus/, [kʊ.ɫʊs] (stressed on the antepenult)

-culus m (feminine -cula, neuter -culum); first/second declension

1. Alternative form of -ulus; added to a noun to form a diminutive of that noun.

   ‎clāvis (“key”) + ‎-culus → ‎clāvicula (“little key”)

   ‎ōs (“mouth”) + ‎-culus → ‎ōsculum (“little mouth”)

   ‎mās + ‎-culus → ‎māsculus

   ‎sermō + ‎-culus → ‎sermunculus (“rumor; small talk”)

First/second declension.

• -unculus (rebracketing)