Plural of 'grata,' a Latin word meaning 'pleasing' or 'agreeable,' used in English in phrases like 'persona non grata.'
From Latin 'gratus' (pleasing, agreeable, grateful), derived from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning 'to please.' English borrowed this as a Latin phrase rather than naturalizing it as a true English word.
We use the Latin phrase 'persona non grata' (unwelcome person) all the time, but it's actually the feminine singular of 'gratus'—showing how English diplomacy has been conducted in Latin for centuries, even when we didn't fully grasp the grammar!
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