pecuniae

Pecuniae is a Latin noun meaning money, wealth, or property. It is the plural form of pecunia, a feminine noun of the first declension. The form pecuniae also appears as the genitive singular and the dative singular, and as the nominative plural, depending on the grammatical context in classical texts. In ordinary usage, pecuniae denotes wealth or monetary resources more broadly rather than coins alone.

The word’s etymology is linked to pecus, meaning cattle or livestock, reflecting an origin in wealth derived from livestock and livestock-based economies. Over time, pecunia came to signify money in general and financial resources in Roman discourse. In literature and rhetoric, pecunia frequently figures in discussions of wealth, taxation, and monetary policy; the famous proverb pecunia non olet ("money does not stink") illustrates money’s social and political dimensions in Roman life.

In modern languages, the concept survives in derivatives such as pecuniary (relating to money) and pecuniosus (wealthy). The term also appears in legal and economic Latin to discuss monetary matters, damages, or financial affairs. While the form pecuniae is primarily of historical linguistic interest today, it remains a recognizable element of the Latin vocabulary for money and wealth.

See also: pecunia; pecuniary; pecuniosus; peculation.