Inscriptionum

Inscriptionum is a Latin phrase most often encountered in scholarly epigraphy as the genitive plural form meaning “of inscriptions.” In titles and formal descriptions, it is used to indicate a collection or corpus that comprises inscriptions, rather than a single inscription. The form exemplifies how Latin genitive constructions are employed to label extensive bodies of material.

The best-known instance of Inscriptionum in a title is Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum, a massive 19th-century project initiated under Theodor Mommsen. This work, and its related corpora such as Corpus Inscriptionum Graecarum, use Inscriptionum to designate the contents as encompassing numerous inscriptions from particular languages or regions. The convention has continued in modern epigraphy, where numerous digitized or printed collections carry similar Latin headings, signaling the scope of inscriptions rather than narrative text.

Function and significance: In scholarly practice, Inscriptionum signals a dataset or archive intended for systematic study, transcription, and analysis of epigraphic material. It helps readers recognize the material as primary source evidence for history, law, religion, and daily life in ancient societies. The term also appears in modern databases and catalogues as a nod to classical scholarly traditions, while its usage has broadened to digital corpora and open-access repositories.

See also: Epigraphy; Inscriptions; Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum; Corpus Inscriptionum Graecarum; Latin terminology in scholarly titles.