plena
Meaning
The plural form of 'plenum', meaning assemblies or gatherings of all members of a group or committee.
In physics, spaces or conditions considered to be completely filled with matter.
Structure
Usage
The decisions were ratified in the subsequent plena of the central committee.
In classical physics, the concept of plena as opposed to vacuums was a subject of debate.
The minutes from the organization's annual plena are kept in the archive.
Etymology
The word 'plena' is the direct plural of the Latin noun 'plenum', meaning 'that which is full'. The root plen- descends from the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root pele-, meaning 'to fill', which also gave rise to English words like 'full' and 'fill'. In Latin, 'plenum' was used to denote a space entirely filled with matter, in contrast to a vacuum. This technical sense was adopted into English scientific terminology, while the general meaning of a full assembly of members evolved from the idea of a meeting where all seats are filled.
Analysis
'plen' is from Latin plenus, meaning 'full'. The suffix '-a' is a Latin-derived plural ending used for neuter nouns ending in '-um'.