Translation for the word "menace"?

Latin Learning Latin
1

Hey

I’ve looked in the Oxford Latin dictionary and online for the Latin
singular meaning to menace in the context that someone is a menace. I
found minae, but in both the dictionary and online, it comes up as
plural. Could minae be both plural and singular?

Thanks a bunch,

Shawn

2

Whitaker WORDS shows two relevant words:

comminatio, comminationis (f) → threat, menace.
That’s the abstract meaning.

minax, minacis (adj) → threatening; boding ill.
That’s probably more concrete.

3

Hi Shawn,

minae, -arum is plural: it is a socalled tantum plurale, meaning “plural only”. This means that the noun does not have a singular form: it only figures in the plural. Think of words like “Athens” or “scissors” and you’ll see what is meant: these English words are actually in the plural - you can’t say “Athen” or “scissor”…

This is so with many words in Latin:

angustiae, arma, castra, divitiae, epulae, fasti, feriae, indutiae, inimicitiae, insidiae, liberi, manes, maiores, minae, moenia, nuptiae, Olympia, penates, posteri, sarcinae, Saturnalia, spolia, tenebrae.

Further you have the important days in each month: Kalendae, Nonae, Idus.

Finally, I’ll mention place names: Athenae, Alpes, Baiae, Pompeii, Puteoli, Sardes, Syracusae, Veii.

4

Thanks so much amans! That helps a lot.

Shawn