Eumenides

English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek Εὐμενίδες (Eumenídes, “gracious ones”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /juˈmɛnɪdiːz/

Noun

Eumenides pl (plural only)

1. (Greek mythology) The Erinyes.

Latin

Etymology

From Ancient Greek Εὐμενίδες f pl (Eumenídes, “the gracious ones”). The literal meaning obviously doesn't correspond to their actual nature, and is used euphemistically to avoid angering them.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /eu̯ˈme.ni.deːs/, [ɛu̯ˈmɛnɪd̪eːs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /eu̯ˈme.ni.des/, [eu̯ˈmɛːnid̪es]

Noun

Eumenidēs f pl (genitive Eumenidum); third declension

1. (euphemistic) the Furies
   • 9 CE, Ovid, The Ibis 223:

     Prōtinus Eumenidēs lāvēre palustribus undīs […]

     Immediately the Furies washed him in swampy waters […]

Declension

Third-declension noun, plural only.

Case	Plural
Nominative	Eumenidēs
Genitive	Eumenidum
Dative	Eumenidibus
Accusative	Eumenidēs
Ablative	Eumenidibus
Vocative	Eumenidēs

Derived terms

• grūmulus

References

• “Eumenides”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• Eumenides in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.