(declension-2) a mine, underground tunnel or gallery
Pronounced as (IPA)
[kʊˈniː.kʊ.ɫʊs]
Etymology
Perhaps some Iberian or Celtiberian word + the Latin diminutive -ulus or -culus. Compare Basque untxi (“rabbit”), Mozarabic conchair (“greyhound”). Attested from Varro onward.