TL; DR: Does anyone have a theory on why RIC editors use the plural cornucopiae so consistently, even for reverse types in which only one cornucopia is held? In RIC descriptions, the editors almost always use the plural form of cornucopia, “cornucopiae.” E.g., “Felicitas standing left holding caduceus and cornucopiae.” Sometimes indeed there is more than one cornucopia. But often the coin reverse just shows one “horn of plenty,” as in the statue I photographed in the Naples museum a few years ago. Does anyone have a theory on why RIC editors use the plural cornucopiae so consistently, even for reverse types in which only one cornucopia is held? See, for example, the description of this coin recently gifted me by @jamesicus. I just see one cornucopia there. Why the plural? Those RIC editors probably dreamed in Latin, so it seems unlikely that they'd make a language error.
I remember looking this up once, but can't remember in detail what I dug up. I'm under the general impression that cornucopiæ is Latin and singular. Wouldn't the plural of cornucopia just be cornucopias? I'm sure someone will come along and sort this out shortly .
I don’t have a Latin dictionary at hand, but I think I’ve figured it out from this online Lewis & Short entry for cornu: cornū, ūs … I Lit., a hard and generally crooked growth upon the head of many mammiferous animals (very freq. in all periods and species of composition), ...Of the antlers of a stag, Ov. M. 3, 194; 10, 111; Verg. A. 10, 725 al.: Cornu Copiae (less correctly, but freq. in late Lat., as one word, Cornūcōpĭae, and twice Cornūcōpĭa, ae, f., Amm. 22, 9, 1; 25, 2, 3), acc. to the fable, the horn of the goat Amalthea placed in heaven, Greek Κέρας Ἀμαλθείας (v. Amalthea), the emblem of fruitfulness and abundance, Plaut. Ps. 2, 3, 5; Gell. 14, 6, 2; cf. Hor. C. 1, 17, 16; id. C. S. 60; id. Ep. 1, 12, 29; Ov. M. 9, 88.— As two words, cornu copiae, the “copiae” would be in the genitive case, with the calque translation of “horn of plenty.” So I think where I see a plural “cornucopiae,” the RIC editors see “cornu copiae,” but just squish the two words together. So really, it’s not a plural exactly, but a one-word coupling of a nominative (cornu) and genitive (copiae). If anyone has a bit of Latin, does that make sense?
Gavin beat me to it. If you want to get ridiculous about it the plural would need to be formed on Cornu making it Horns of Plenty and the plural of a fourth declension neuter noun would be Cornua but I do not recall seeing cornuacopiae. The era of arguing over points of grammar has been dying a slow death along with people of my generation who were proud to be called pedantic. Trying to make sense out of English, Latin, pronunciation and many other things that were once so very important is falling aside in popularity.
Well. I learned something today! I wonder if I can somehow work this in to conversation at work today. Hmm. It would be a stretch.
Interesting question and thanks for the thread Gavin. I've often been confused over this myself. I'm afraid my 3 years of high school Latin aren't helping me out.
Try the plural of teaspoonful (teaspoonsful). Many middle formed plurals are often hyphenated (runners-up, passers-by).
The -ae ending is not a plural; it's the genitive case inflectional ending. It's the "of" in "horn of plenty." Cornu is the singular for "horn"; cornua is the plural. Cornuacopiae is the plural of cornucopiae. "Horns of plenty."
I think the correct Latin forms are as RC states. In my opinion, however, "cornucopiae" has become an English word so no longer needs the Latin case endings. I write simply "cornucopia" singular, and "cornucopias" plural.
Another word with this problem is triskeles. In numismatics, 'triskeles' is singular. Wikipedia and Wiktionary considers the word to be 'triskele'. 'triskeles' is their plural for 'triskele'.
I feel like it’s difficult to argue correct grammar for a dead language, I mean, who’s gonna correct you, the Pope?
The important thing is consistency. The proper English is "cornucopia/ cornucopias". The Latin is cornucopiae/ cornuacopiae. When writing in English, foreign words are italicized (or underlined in manuscript). All four of the following examples are correct: "figure holding single cornucopia" "figure holding twin cornucopias" "figure holding single cornucopiae" "figure holding twin cornuacopiae"
