mangonium

Latin

Etymology

Perhaps most straightforwardly mangōn- (“dealer, embellisher of wares”) +‎ -ium (abstract noun-forming suffix).^[1] Buck suggests that both Latin nouns are based (ultimately or otherwise) on Ancient Greek μάγγανον (mánganon, “means of charming or bewitching”).^[2]

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /manˈɡo.ni.um/, [mäŋˈɡɔniʊ̃ˑ]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /manˈɡo.ni.um/, [mäŋˈɡɔːnium]

Noun

mangōnium n (genitive mangōniī or mangōnī); second declension

(rare) display or embellishment of wares to be sold
- 23 CE – 79 CE, Pliny the Elder, Naturalis historia 10.140:
  Feminae quidem ad saginam non omnes eliguntur nec nisi in cervice pingui cute. Postea culinarum artes, ut clunes spectentur, ut dividantur in tergora, ut a pede uno dilatatae repositoria occupent. Dedere et Parthi cocis suos mores. Nec tamen in hoc mangonio quicquam totum placet, clune, alibi pectore tantum laudatis.
  Of course, not all hens are chosen for fattening, only those with a thick skin on their neck are. Afterwards come the culinary arts, so that the haunches are looked at and the backs are split, separated by one foot in storage rooms. Even the Parthians gave their practices to cooks. However, in this display of wares not everything is wholly liked, as only the haunch is lauded here, only the breast there.

Usage notes

This term is a hapax legomenon within the Classical Latin corpus, but it occurs at least once in a work of Pope Leo I (early 5th century).

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

	singular	plural
nominative	mangōnium	mangōnia
genitive	mangōniī	mangōniōrum
dative	mangōniō	mangōniīs
accusative	mangōnium	mangōnia
ablative	mangōniō	mangōniīs
vocative	mangōnium	mangōnia

References

^ Bodel, John. 2005. Caveat emptor: Towards a study of Roman slave traders. Journal of Roman Archaeology 18. 192.
^ Buck, Carl Darling (1949, 1988 reprint) A Dictionary of Selected Synonyms in the Principal Indo-European Languages‎^[1], Chicago: University of Chicago, →ISBN, page 820:
ON manga, OE mangian, ME mange, OS mangōn, fr. Lat. mangō ‘dealer, monger’ (who adorns his wares to give them an appearance of greater value), beside mangōnium ‘displaying of wares’, prob. loanwords based on Grk. μάγγανον ‘means of charming or bewitching’. Walde-P. 2.233. Ernout-M. 588. Walde-H. 2.28 f. NED s.v. mong, vb.¹.