Mascula

Mascula is a term with several possible uses, most commonly encountered in Latin grammar. It is the feminine form of the Latin adjective masculus, meaning “masculine” or “male.” In Latin, adjectives agree with the gender of the nouns they modify; masculus is the masculine form, while mascula is the feminine. The neuter form is masculum. In scholarly discussions, mascula appears when illustrating feminine endings of second-declension adjectives, rather than as a standalone dictionary entry.

Outside strictly linguistic contexts, mascula occasionally appears as a proper noun in modern writing. It may be used as a surname or as a place name in fictional works or in certain toponyms, but it is not associated with a widely recognized geographic location or institution in standard reference works.

Etymology and related forms: Mascula is derived from the Latin root masculus with the feminine ending -a. Related forms include masculus (masculine) and masculum (neuter). In English-language discussions of Latin, mascula is commonly cited primarily as an illustrative form rather than a frequently used word.

See also: masculus, masculum, Latin grammar for adjective endings.