anˈsilə noun
( plural ancil·lae -i(ˌ)lē)
Etymology: Latin, female servant, diminutive of (assumed) ancula (whence Ancula, a goddess who ministered to the gods), feminine of (assumed) anculus (whence Anculus, a ministering god), from an- (variant of ambi- around) + -culus circulating (akin to colere to cultivate, dwell — formerly, to circulate) — more at ambi- , wheel
1. : an adjunct especially to something large or significant : accessory
a mere ancilla to architecture
2. : an aid in achieving or mastering something difficult, complex, or obscure : helper
a most necessary ancilla to literary appreciation — George Saintsbury