Carmina
/ˈkar.mɪ.na/noun
Latin plural of carmen, meaning songs, poems, or chants.
Did you know?In Latin, *carmen* could mean a song, poem, or magical incantation, which is why Roman culture treated certain spoken formulas as literally powerful.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*k̑er-
“to sing, shout, or make a sound”
Old Latin
Latin
carmen
“a song, verse, or ritual chant”
Classical Latin
Latin
carmina
“songs, poems, chants, or incantations”
Late Latin
Latin
carmina
“poetic or magical verses”
Modern English
English
carminative / charm
“borrowings and descendants reflecting the idea of spoken power or soothing ritual”