Scapulae
/ˈskæp.jʊ.liː/noun
The plural of scapula, meaning the shoulder blades.
Did you know?Scapula comes from Latin, where it meant both a shoulder blade and a scraper/spade, showing how often ancient anatomy was named by hard, practical visual analogy rather than mysticism.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*skēi-
“to cut, split, or scrape”
Latin
Latin
scalprum
“a cutting tool, chisel, or scraper”
Latin
Latin
scapula
“shoulder blade; also a flat, broad blade-like object”
Late Latin
Latin
scapulae
“shoulder blades (plural)”
Middle English
English
scaple / scapula
“anatomical shoulder blade”
Modern English
English
scapulae
“the plural form of scapula, the shoulder blades”