graecorum

Graecorum is the genitive plural form of Graecus, the Latin adjective and noun meaning “Greek.” It functions in Latin to indicate possession or association, translating as “of the Greeks.” The term appears in a wide range of Latin texts to refer to Greek people, language, culture, or things connected with Greece.

Etymology and form: Graecus derives from the Greek ethnonym Graikos, with Graecorum forming the genitive plural to express “of the Greeks.” This is a standard Latin pattern for converting adjectives and nouns into possessive phrases in classical and later Latin.

Usage in Latin literature and contexts: In classical, medieval, and ecclesiastical Latin, Graecorum occurs in phrases that describe Greek customs, language, philosophy, or history. It helps mark Greek origin or association in descriptions of people (e.g., the Greeks), objects, or traditions. The form is primarily seen in Latin texts and in translations where Greek elements are being described within a Latin framework.

Modern usage and nomenclature: In modern scholarly writing that uses Latin terms or Latinized binomial conventions, graecorum may appear as a geographic or ethnonymic epithet in species descriptions to signal a connection with Greece. It also survives in the study of antiquity, where Latin phrases incorporating Graecorum appear in discussions of Greek culture and its influence on Roman society.

See also: Graecus, Graecia, Hellenism, Latin language.