minorum

Minorum is the Latin genitive plural form of the adjective minor, meaning "of the smaller" or "of the lesser." It appears in classical and ecclesiastical Latin to link nouns in possessive or descriptive phrases.

In ecclesiastical usage, minorum is best known from the name of the Franciscan family of religious orders: Ordo Fratrum Minorum, translated as the Order of the Friars Minor. The term signifies the humility and lesser status emphasized by the order’s founder, Saint Francis of Assisi. The Franciscans include several branches whose formal Latin titles incorporate Minorum, such as Ordo Fratrum Minorum Capuchinorum (the Capuchins) and Ordo Fratrum Minorum Observantium (the Observant branch). Collectively, these groups are commonly referred to in English as the Franciscans or Minorites.

Outside religious contexts, minorum functions as the standard Latin genitive plural form used in scholarly writing to indicate possession, association, or belonging to a group described as smaller or lesser. In taxonomy and other scientific nomenclature, the phrase may appear in Latin descriptions or names to convey a relationship to a smaller subset within a larger taxon, though contemporary practice often favors concise, standardized naming conventions.

Overall, Minorum is primarily encountered as a grammatical form in Latin and as a component of the official titles of certain religious orders, with occasional use in academic prose to denote minority or smaller-group relationships.