vocibus

Vocibus is a Latin noun form derived from vox, meaning "voice." Specifically, vocibus is the dative plural and the ablative plural of vox. In Latin grammar, vox is a third-declension noun with the usual plural forms: voces (nominative plural), vocum (genitive plural), vocibus (dative and ablative plural), and voces as the accusative plural.

Etymology and form: The headword vox comes from Proto-Italic and ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root related to sound or voice. The genitive singular is vocis; the dative singular is voci; the ablative singular is voce. In the plural, the forms include voces (nominative), vocum (genitive), vocibus (dative and ablative), and voces (accusative). Thus vocibus appears whenever a plural indirect object is required or when the plural ablative is used to indicate means, manner, or instrument.

Usage: In classical and later Latin, vocibus occurs in contexts requiring the plural dative or plural ablative of vox. This can include phrases meaning “to/for the voices” or “by/with the voices,” depending on the syntactic role. The word is most often encountered in literary, religious, or documentary Latin where a plural reference to voices—literal or metaphorical—is intended, such as discussions of singing, speaking, or vocal groups.

See also: Vox (Latin), Latin morphology, Latin grammar, Dative case, Ablative case.

Notes: Vocibus does not function as an independent lexical item beyond its grammatical role; its meaning is determined by vox and by the case it bears in a given sentence.