lectibus

Lectibus is a Latin form rather than an independent English term. In linguistic terms, it is typically treated as a plural ending that can appear on a noun with a stem related to reading or collection, though it does not function as a standard lemma in Latin dictionaries. The most familiar related word is lection, from which the more common plural lectiones or lectionibus is formed to mean “readings” or “lections.” Consequently, lectibus is understood primarily through its grammatical function rather than as a standalone meaning.

In Latin grammar, the ending -ibus marks the dative or ablative plural for certain noun classes. Thus lectibus would be interpreted as referring to multiple objects or concepts in the dative or ablative sense, depending on the underlying noun. Because Latin morphology depends on declension and stem, the precise interpretation of lectibus requires knowledge of the corresponding noun’s base form and declension. As a form, it can appear in legal, scholarly, or manuscript contexts where the underlying word is omitted or ambiguous.

When used in modern philological discussion, lectibus is often mentioned in the context of movement or variation in manuscript transmission, where scribal practices sometimes alter or simplify standard spellings. It is not a term with a widely recognized standalone sense in contemporary English, and it rarely appears outside linguistic or textual-criticism discourse. For readers seeking a concrete concept related to Latin readings, lectionibus remains the standard form to consult.

See also: lection, lectionary, lectio divina.