Questions tagged [plural]
The plural tag has no usage guidance.
37
questions
3
votes
1
answer
38
views
Meaning and grammar of ‘ōrātiōnī aspergere salēs’
The phrase ‘ōrātiōnī aspergere salēs’ literally means ‘to sprinkle [grains of] salt on the oration’. The grammar in itself is simple enough:
ōrātiōnī: in the dative, presumably because of the verb ...
- 3,091
5
votes
2
answers
217
views
First Declension Singular, Gen or Dat?
I'm learning the first declension and I am confused on how the word "terrae" is used as a genitive but can be used as a dative. How do I translate if I am given just the word "terrae?&...
- 51
5
votes
1
answer
156
views
Confiteor unum baptisma: cur utitur forma plurali?
In Symbolo Nicaeno dicitur:
Confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum.
Etiam in Catechismo reperitur nomen huic sacramento in forma plurali. Attamen nescio quid sit causa. Solebam enim ...
- 267
12
votes
1
answer
215
views
When should nūllus be singular vs plural?
“Nūllus” indicates a quantity of zero, so it's not obvious if it should be plural or singular, and I have seen examples of both, but I am unsure what the choice should be based on.
The first pair of ...
- 319
-1
votes
2
answers
120
views
plural of nouns, example: malum: mala or malums or both?
I am teaching myself Latin. Right now I study how to make plural of nouns. I have found some rules online, depending on the ending of a noun in a nominative singular form. The website says that most ...
- 23
4
votes
0
answers
57
views
Were Etruscan words such as "avil" (year) and "sum" (foot, measurement of length) singularia tantum or pluralia tantum?
Were Etruscan words such as "avil" (year) and "sum" (foot, measurement of length) singularia tantum or pluralia tantum? Would adjectives applied to them be declined in singular or ...
- 1,458
9
votes
1
answer
566
views
Plural of axis mundi
The phrase axis mundi is used frequently in archaeology and art history to describe certain places as a "world center" or "center of the universe" in Indigenous or ancient/...
- 93
5
votes
1
answer
375
views
Why Does Cicero use the Third-Person Singular Instead of the Plural Form?
Cicero, de Oratore (2.25.108):
"...in quibus hoc praecipit ratio et doctrina ut vis eius rei, quam definias sic exprimatur ut neque absit quicquam neque supersit,"
"...on which ...
- 7,266
6
votes
1
answer
707
views
When to use ae vs a for plurals?
I'm reading Familia Romana book and encountered these 2 sentences.
Corsica et Sardinia insulae magnae sunt.
And
Brundisium et Sparta oppida magna sunt.
Why does the ae changes to a and vice versa?
- 1,647
9
votes
1
answer
3k
views
"Veni, vidi, vici" but in the plural form
"I came saw and won" but to the plural form of "we came, we saw, we won".
My Latin is beyond rusty.
What would you recommend as the proper form?
Gratias tibi!
- 107
4
votes
1
answer
334
views
Plural for Succubus and Incubus
Succubus & incubus don't show up in the Latin dictionaries I've searched. I'm wondering what the plurals would be. I did find succuba, 1st decl fem. Could it be that it didn't morph into a 2nd ...
- 43
8
votes
2
answers
1k
views
The best way to say Sinners
I'd like to create an aesthetic with the phrase "Remember that you must die, sinners" - targeted at the viewers. I know the first part is memento mori, but what is the best translation of &...
- 83
2
votes
1
answer
108
views
How is the (rare) Locative Plural formed?
If I understood right the Locative is only to be formed in singular (e.g. domi, ruri, ...).
But when it comes to words (especially cities / small islands) that only exist in Plural (e.g. Athenae) we ...
- 596
12
votes
3
answers
882
views
How to decline a whale?
The Latin word cētus (a whale or some other major sea creature) behaves peculiarly.
In singular it is a normal-looking masculine cētus, but in plural it is a neuter cētē.
The ...
- 104k
7
votes
2
answers
886
views
What is the plural of "telos" as used in English?
We sometimes use the borrowed word "telos" in English. It's obviously just a transliteration of τέλος (end, purpose, aim), which plays an important role especially in Aristotelian philosophy.
τέλος ...
- 36.7k
8
votes
3
answers
198
views
Why plural "laudantium" with singular "militiae"?
In the Latin Vulgate, Luke 2:13 is translated:
Et subito facta est cum angelo multitudo militiæ cælestis laudantium
Deum, et dicentium ...
"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of ...
- 233
4
votes
1
answer
78
views
Grammar and Meaning in Context SUMMIS
I have a choral text set to music by Anton Bruckner. (I do not know Bruckner's source.) The text VIRGA JESSE reads as follows:
VIRGA JESSE FLORUIT
VIRGO DEUM ET HOMINEM GENUIT
PACEM DEUS ...
10
votes
1
answer
314
views
Why "per capita"?
I don't speak Latin and I can't think of a non-dumb way to ask this.
But my understanding is that capita is the plural form of caput.
So I'm wondering how "per capita" makes any sense, then, as it ...
- 201
4
votes
1
answer
248
views
The Plural Forms of "Uterque"
Following on from "Uter vs Uterque"; it is clear that "'uterque' can be translated as 'both [of two]' but it might be better to think of it as 'each [of two]'. The reason is that 'uterque', like 'each'...
- 7,266
4
votes
1
answer
179
views
μονάδαι as plural form of μονάς
In the text that I am reading now, the Greek word μονάδαι is used to indicate "units". I have understood it as a plural form of μονάς, however, I could only find μονᾰ́δε in the dual form and μονᾰ́δες ...
- 517
4
votes
1
answer
388
views
Do first-declension neuter nouns or adjectives have plural forms?
Although almost all first-declension nouns are feminine or masculine, there seem to be a handful of adjectives that belong to the first declension for all genders, and at least one substantive noun, ...
- 21.8k
2
votes
2
answers
208
views
Trouble with the adjective "my"
Was looking to do an inscription on a ring for my fiance (engagement ring)
Mei Uxor animusque
My (plural m) wife (f) and soul(m)
The -que implies that these things are close together by making ...
- 123
3
votes
1
answer
101
views
Conjugation/grammar for fictitious title
In a work of fiction, I have an Order of ordained detectives that do not exist. I use the term Lictor Rebus Sanctorae for the Order, and Lictor Rebus Sanctorus for the male protagonist. I know this ...
9
votes
1
answer
424
views
Why did the Romans perceive darkness, ᴛᴇɴᴇʙʀᴀᴇ, as a plural count noun?
Why did the Romans perceive darkness, tenebrae, as a plural count noun? [Perseus corpus-search reference]
Or perhaps the better question is: what special nuance is conveyed by the
...
- 267
4
votes
2
answers
374
views
Why is plural of “mons pubis” not “montes pubum”
Latin newbie here. Was talking with a friend about Martian landforms like Olympus Mons. Then we talked about other uses of mons, like mons pubis. But then I realized I didn’t understand something.
...
- 41
5
votes
1
answer
151
views
Plural in 4th declension
I know that virtually all masculine and feminine nouns in Latin have an e or i in the nominative plural and that the genitive singular is often similar. This is quite widespread in Indo-European ...
- 151
3
votes
1
answer
147
views
Can a morphologically singular collective noun be syntactically plural?
In English the noun "family" is singular but it means a group (of people).
Syntactically it can be singular or plural: one can say "the family is/are…" with either choice.
Can this kind of ...
- 104k
6
votes
1
answer
124
views
Singulae aut unae scopae?
Tuomo Pekkanen's grammar (§92.1) explains how to express the number of something that is expressed by a plural-only word.
Numbers greater than one are expressed with bini, trini etc. but a single one ...
- 104k
8
votes
1
answer
273
views
How common is the genitive plural ending -um in the first declension?
In an answer, Draconis said the genitive plural -um (instead of -arum) is sometimes used in the first declension. Now, while -um is fairly common in poetry and with certain specific words, like deum, ...
- 18.7k
10
votes
3
answers
314
views
What would the singular of a tribes-people like Caledonii be?
This map names a lot of tribes-people. The one in Scotland is called "Caledonii".
I'm assuming "Caledonii" is the plural form of the people. I've also seen other maps where the land is called "...
- 201
8
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Alea iacta est, plural version?
I was thinking about the famous Phrase "alea iacta est", and I was wondering: how would be the plural version of it?
I thought about
ALEAS IACTA SUNT
Because aleas needs to be in the accusative ...
- 183
10
votes
2
answers
354
views
How do I specify how many "litterae" or "castra" there are?
Certain words in Latin have a special meaning in the plural, which is often translated with the English singular. One obvious example of this is litterae, -arum, which means, "a letter."
...
- 36.7k
6
votes
1
answer
369
views
How can "everyone" be singular or plural?
I don't understand how quisque and quique are different. How can a pronoun referring to all people be singular or plural? In which situations would one use either of these?
- 2,024
12
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Where do the plurals of locus come from?
The word locus is masculine in the singular, but it can be masculine or neuter in the plural.
Geographical places are loca, but places in a text are loci.
As far as I know, this is the only Latin word ...
- 104k
8
votes
2
answers
625
views
What is the plural of virus, vulgus and pelagus?
There are three neuters in the second declension ending in -us: virus, vulgus and pelagus.
(See this previous question for origin and listing of such words.)
My grammar tells me that these words are ...
- 104k
9
votes
1
answer
998
views
What is the origin of the 3rd-person plural perfect ending "-ēre"?
Laudavēre is an (apparently older) alternative to laudaverunt. What is the origin of this ending? Is it connected with any other known endings or affixes?
Clackson & Horrocks say it is from an ...
- 18.7k
15
votes
2
answers
917
views
Where did pluralis-ut-singularis come from in Latin?
Anyone who reads Cicero's letters cannot fail to notice that he quite frequently uses nos and noster to mean ego and meus. Earlier I heard a paper where nos in Lucretius' proem was meant singularly (...
cmw♦
- 41.2k