A Latin lesson?

[cfkingfish]

I am no expert by any means, but my minor in college was Latin, and I do have friends and customers who ask me how and why genera and species are pronounced the way they are. I figured Id share!

Anyone who has taken a foriegn language is familar with declensions of verbs, and noun forms. In Latin, nouns are declined just as much as verbs depending on how the word is being used.

There are five declensions of nouns in Latin, and four declensions of verbs. Nouns are what we deal with, so I will stick with that.

1st, 2nd, and third declensions are used most when describing genus and species. Most palm names are neuter - they have neither male nor female attributes in their name. Here is an example:

Palma is the word for palm in Latin. This is a 2nd declension neuter noun. The word can be declined 10 ways in noun form - 5 in singular, and 5 in plural. We know that the main taxonomic book for palms in (or out) of print today is Genera Palmarum, published in 1987. The word palmarum is a plural genitive declension of the word palma. The genitive declension expresses possession or adjective use.

The word for genus in Latin is actually genus, meaning birth, or race. It is a third declension neuter noun. Genera literally means "races" or "Genera" and "Palmae" literally means "of palms". The book cover therefore states, "The Races of Palms".

Ok, that is lesson number one. I have to go work on the palmae, so Ill be back.  :cool:

[Dave-Vero]

For what it's worth, pronunciations by botanists are all over the place.  

Here's a possibly useful link http://www.calflora.net/botanicalnames/index.html

[Bilbo]

I suppose the specific is the easier such as fortunei and romanzoff for folks and capitata, canariensis and chilensis for descriptions of appearance or origin.

BTW why the Latin?

You aint a shady lawyer are you (we already have one on the forum so the position is filled) however Im sure the guys will let you know should a vacancy arise.

My limited knowledge of Latin speak is "Caesar adsum jam forte".

Hope I got that right but then Im just a simple uneducated guy . . .

Cue violins.

Regardez

Juan

[jam99]

Christian, my Latin ain't no good but for what I know palma is feminine

[K_Palm]

Christian I don't know Latin but I do know Koine Greek...it seems very similar and if I followed you correctly the word in question is in the genitive

[cfkingfish]

Jan-

Palma is second declension plural neuter nominative.   Palmum is the singluar form.

[www.dadluvsu.com]

Yuck lessons...  sounds like school  

[Carlo Morici]

FANTASTICUM : Give a look to Victionarium: Dictionarium liberum in forma wiki

http://la.wiktionary.org/wiki/Pagina_prima

                Singular  Plural

Nominative  palma     palmae

Genitive      palmae    palmarum

Dative         palmae   palmis

Accusative   palmam  palmas

Vocative      palma     palmae

Ablative       palma     palmis

[cfkingfish]

Ah, Carlo is right - it is first declension feminine. I am a bad teacher!

[Jason in Orlando]

I just got Latin for Dummies to help with this same topic.  Keep the lessons coming Christian, they are appreciated!

Jason

[Scott]

Thanks Christian, I enjoy languages - they open up a whole new world.

[M@ximus]

My  grandmather  name  was PALMA!!

So,  You  can  understand  my  passion

In  Italy  PALMA, PALMIRA,PALMIRO,PALMIERO etc where   names used frequently   in past time .

M@x

[jam99]

(cfkingfish @ Feb. 27 2007,17:42)

QUOTE

Ah, Carlo is right - it is first declension feminine. I am a bad teacher!

Well, in my mother tongue a palm is palma and it's feminine and like many other languages we have borrowed many words from Latin so I knew I was right but did not want to argue with the teacher  

[cfkingfish]

Well, here is lesson numero dos:

Bob Riffle always mentioned that species is never spelled without the last s. He was correct. Species is a 5th declension noun where the singular and plural words are exactly the same in their nominative declension. It is like the word deer or sheep - the word stays the same whether referring to one or many. I found 5th declension to be a little harder than others, as well as fourth. Other words you may be familar with in fifth declension:

dies, diei = day, as in Carpe Diem

res, rei = thing, as in republic (res publica, things pertaining to the people)

So interesting, ne?  :cool:

[Jason in Orlando]

My big question is this:

Arecaceae; is it pronounced ee-ee, or ee-eye?

And:

Dypsidinae; is it ee or eye?

Thanks in advance.

Jason