pentaculum

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Renaissance Latin documents.

Noun

pentaculum

1. pentacle

Latin

The pentaculum from the anonymous grimoire Heptameron attributed to Peter de Abano (1565 edition).

Etymology

Latinized version of the Middle French word pentacle, replacing -cle with the Latin suffix -culum.

Noun

pentāculum n (genitive pentāculī); second declension

1. pentacle
   • 1565, pseudo-Peter de Abano, Heptameron‎^[1], Henrici Cornelii Agrippae liber quartus de occulta philosophia, seu de cerimoniis magicis; Cui accesserunt, Elementa magica Petri de Abano, philosophi edition:

     Deinde sumat hoc pentaculum Die & hora Mercurij, crescente luna, in charta vel membrana hœdi.

     Then take this pentacle [made] in the day and hour of Mercury, the Moon increasing, written in parchment of kid.

   • 1565, pseudo-Agrippa, Henrici Cornelii Agrippae liber quartus de occulta philosophia, seu de cerimoniis magicis; Cui accesserunt, Elementa magica Petri de Abano, philosophi‎^[2]:

     Cæterum de Sacris Pentaculis, atque signaculis nunc dicamus. Sunt autem ipsa Pentacula tanquam signa quædam sacra, à malis euentibus nos præseruantia: & ad malorum Demonum constrictionem, & exterminationē, nos adiuuantia, bonosque spiritus alliciētia, nobísque conciliantia. Constant autem Pentacula, ex Caracteribus & Nominibus bonorum spirituum superioris ordinis, vel ex sacris picturis, sacrarum literarum, seu reuelationum: versiculis adaptis, vel ex figuris Geometricis, sacrisque Dei Nominibus, secundum multorum rationem, inuicem compositis: vel ex omnibus ijs, aut eorum pluribus mixtum compositis.

     But we now come to speak of the holy and sacred Pentacles and Sigils. Now these pentacles, are as it were certain holy signes preserving us from evil chances and events, and helping and assisting us to binde, exterminate, and drive away evil spirits, and alluring the good spirits, and reconciling them unto us. And these pentacles do consist either of Characters of the good spirits of the superiour order, or of sacred pictures of holy letters or revelations, with apt and fit versicles, which are composed either of Geometrical figures and holy names of God, according to the course and maner of many of them; or they are compounded of all of them, or very many of them mixt.

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	pentāculum	pentācula
Genitive	pentāculī	pentāculōrum
Dative	pentāculō	pentāculīs
Accusative	pentāculum	pentācula
Ablative	pentāculō	pentāculīs
Vocative	pentāculum	pentācula