Talk:Manes

Derivation from PIE *men- "think"
What's the source of this claim? I'm curious. --Glengordon01 04:43, 17 August 2006 (UTC)

Derivation of name
I'm also curious. I have a source here (the one I just added to the article if you want to check it out) which says that Manes is derived from "an archaic adjective manus-'good'- which was the opposite of immanis". Could whoever put the PIE derivation cite a source? Thanks. RollingStone122 18:18, 6 June 2007 (UTC)
 * I’ve found the claim that it is related, maybe cognate to Manas. Is there any evidence for this? H. (talk) 10:17, 9 February 2010 (UTC)

Derivation of "Manes"
I went ahead and changed the information regarding the origin of the word "manes". If I'm reading the history page correctly, the user who wrote the previous (uncited) derivation, "Winona Gone Shopping", is no longer on Wikipedia, so I don't think any source for his/her claims is forthcoming. If anyone disagrees with the change, has another source with a derivation for Manes, or wants to comment, feel free. RollingStone122 02:23, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Fowing up
What exactly is a "fowing stone". The word "fowing" and the presumptive verb "fow" are things that all the dictionaries I have looked at are plentifully ignorant of. Was **flowing stone intended? that makes some sense in context. Or is this some antient dialect word I just don't know? - Smerdis of Tlön 19:34, 7 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Parkerese, I presume? Septentrionalis PMAnderson 16:47, 23 July 2010 (UTC)

lapis manalis
There is another better article under this title in wiki.en. Why editors do not check Festus glossary available on line? It is clearly stated that the etymology of manes is from manare ie to penetrate through matter, what is an obvious power of souls.Aldrasto (talk) 05:48, 28 March 2010 (UTC)


 * A distinction should be made between an etymology as determined by modern scientific linguistics, and an etymology proffered by an ancient writer, when such etymologies were often speculative and made in order to support a particular theological viewpoint. The ancient etymologies are extremely revealing, of course, for that very reason — but shouldn't be mistaken for "real" etymologies. I recently happened upon an interesting book on the subject, Forgotten paths: etymology and the allegorical mindset. Cynwolfe (talk) 16:33, 28 March 2010 (UTC)
 * To say nothing of plain ignorance. Festus knew nothing of comparative linguistics - to be fair, it would have been very difficult without fluency in German and Sanskrit. Septentrionalis PMAnderson 16:48, 23 July 2010 (UTC)
 * I prefer to say nothing of plain ignorance these days. I have this article on my watchlist, but so far have visited mostly on a drive-by basis, with some organizational shuffling and rewording of particularly unendurable stuff. I didn't pay sufficient attention to Aldrasto's original point about the main lapis manalis article, no doubt because I didn't want to take time to redeem my own ignorance about why most of an article on the Manes was taken up by the lapis manalis. (I do love the religious physics behind manare as "penetrating through matter.") This is an article in fairly desperate need; the fact that D.M. shows up on Christian tombstones shows how pervasive and enduring beliefs and practices pertaining to the Manes were, so they deserve a richer treatment. Haploidavey's been working toward the Lares; I made feeble gestures in the direction of the Penates, but nobody's adopted the Manes. I've been wanting to write a sort of umbrella article on "chthonic deities of ancient Rome" (in which according to somebody Rome was particularly rich), but every time I try to write an article that might actually be readable and useful, I find myself distracted by the minutiae to which I normally attend. Cynwolfe (talk) 18:26, 23 July 2010 (UTC)
 * Let me clarify what may be obvious: I mean Festus' ignorance, not that of anybody else. Keres (mythology) also needs work; when - if ever - I have time. Septentrionalis PMAnderson 17:07, 24 July 2010 (UTC)
 * Gah, see, this is what happens when people dance around with faux courtesy without saying what they mean. I was only alluding to a recent outbreak of ignorance elsewhere, and I feel no shame in admitting my own ignorance, which I hope could be remedied in this case with due efforts at research. I didn't take it that you were insulting anybody, and "I are happy" when people speak their minds. WP is a poorer place if there are never any blunt and bracing comments. To my delight, however, I only just discovered WP:CPUSH, which regrettably is only an essay, not a guideline or policy. Cynwolfe (talk) 18:24, 24 July 2010 (UTC)

Manes in Popular Culture
Manes appear as a monster to fight in Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire. They are the weaker armed skeletons encountered in Hades. 2602:30A:2E42:8150:DD7E:C8F9:D78B:EB29 (talk) 01:44, 7 October 2016 (UTC)

translating "Dis Manibus" as "to the Spirits of the Dead" or "to the Manes"
The article says > Roman tombstones often included the letters D.M., which stood for Dis Manibus, literally "to the Manes"[6]

And the image caption says >The abbreviation D.M. at the top of this 3rd-century Christian tombstone stands for Dis Manibus, "to the Spirits of the Dead"

Neither of these mention the 'dis' part of 'dis manibus'. I notice the book cited (King) in the first sentence I cite gives “to the divine manes” as the translation, not 'to the Manes': > Thus, one can read "di manes" either as “the divine manes” (adjective modifying noun) or “manes, the gods” (two nouns in apposition). I have opted for the former translation in this study on the general grounds that an adjective modifying a noun is by far a more common construction in Latin than two nouns.

Given the currently incorrect citation, I would recommend changing both translations to "to the divine manes". (The author ignores the dative case in his discussion quoted, but later translates in this way). 2A01:C23:60F0:8200:2CB3:15CD:20AF:ECAB (talk) 20:44, 24 April 2023 (UTC)