Questions tagged [plural]
The plural tag has no usage guidance.
31
questions
9
votes
1answer
491 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/...
5
votes
1answer
329 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 ...
6
votes
1answer
530 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?
9
votes
1answer
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!
4
votes
1answer
129 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 ...
8
votes
2answers
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 &...
2
votes
1answer
76 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 ...
12
votes
3answers
846 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 ...
7
votes
2answers
560 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 ...
8
votes
3answers
176 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 ...
4
votes
1answer
67 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 ...
9
votes
1answer
266 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 ...
4
votes
1answer
198 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'...
4
votes
1answer
171 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 ...
4
votes
1answer
306 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, ...
2
votes
2answers
183 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 ...
3
votes
1answer
94 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 ...
8
votes
1answer
367 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
...
4
votes
2answers
337 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.
...
5
votes
1answer
144 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 ...
3
votes
1answer
136 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 ...
6
votes
1answer
119 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 ...
7
votes
1answer
241 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, ...
10
votes
3answers
307 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 "...
8
votes
3answers
4k 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 ...
10
votes
2answers
326 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."
...
6
votes
1answer
344 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?
12
votes
1answer
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 ...
8
votes
2answers
564 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 ...
9
votes
1answer
815 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 ...
15
votes
2answers
782 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 (...
