funera

Funera is a Latin noun used in classical and ecclesiastical Latin to denote funerals or the rites surrounding death. It is the plural form of funus, a neuter noun meaning death, the funeral rite, or the corpse. The singular form is funus, with the genitive singular funeris; in Latin the plural nominative and accusative are funera.

In classical usage, funera refers to the events and observances connected with a death, including mourning practices, public or private processions, and the performance of funeral rites for the deceased. The term can appear in phrases describing the day of the funeral (dies funeris) and related ceremonial contexts. It is found in poetry, historiography, and legal or ethical discussions concerning mourning obligations and inheritance.

Historically, Roman funerary customs varied by era and social status but commonly involved a combination of procession, eulogy, and burial or cremation, followed by post-funeral rites. The concept of funera thus encompasses both the rites themselves and the broader social practices surrounding death in ancient Rome.

In modern usage, funera appears mainly in scholarly Latin literature and discussions of ancient rites; it is rarely used as a living term in modern Romance or English outside specific Latin-language contexts. When encountered in English-language works, it typically occurs as a Latin loanword within descriptions of Roman culture or Latin grammar.

See also: funeral, funeral rites, death, laudatio funebris, Latin grammar.