plebi

Plebi is a Latin term describing a particular grammatical form: the dative singular of plebs, meaning "to/for the common people." Plebs is the root noun meaning "the common people" in ancient Rome; the noun belongs to the third declension. The standard paradigm includes: nominative plebs, genitive plebis, dative plebi, accusative plebem, ablative plebe. In plural, plebes, plebium, plebibus, plebes, plebibus. The dative singular plebi is commonly found in phrases indicating recipients or beneficiaries, such as Donum plebi dedit, which means "he gave a gift to the people." The ablative plebe is a different case form.

Etymology: Plebs derives from Latin, referring to the non-patrician classes. The term is the ancestor of modern words such as plebeian and plebiscite, both bearing the sense of affairs involving the common people.

Modern usage: In classical Latin scholarship, plebi is encountered primarily in grammatical descriptions and in quoted phrases showing the dative function. It is not a standalone word in English outside Latin grammar contexts. Learners should be careful not to confuse plebi with plebe, the ablative singular form, or with the genitive plebis.

See also: Plebs, Plebeian, Plebiscite, Latin grammar, Dative case.