[Taxacom] Tegula, tegulae, tegulum, etc.

Mon May 9 12:49:37 CDT 2011

I would argue that tegulum is far from being a common word in English but still a technical term that should be declined according to the grammar of its original language (which refers only to nominative singular and plural only).

Frank

Dr Frank T. Krell 
Curator of Entomology 
Commissioner, International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature
Chair, ICZN ZooBank Committee
Department of Zoology 
Denver Museum of Nature & Science 
2001 Colorado Boulevard 
Denver, CO 80205-5798 USA 
Frank.Krell at dmns.org 
Phone: (+1) (303) 370-8244 
Fax: (+1) (303) 331-6492 
http://www.dmns.org/science/museum-scientists/frank-krell
lab page: http://www.dmns.org/krell-lab

-----Original Message-----
From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu [mailto:taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of Robert Mill
Sent: Monday, May 09, 2011 11:39 AM
To: 'Robin Leech'; 'Vinícius Antonio de Oliveira Dittrich'
Cc: Taxacom
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Tegula, tegulae, tegulum, etc.

I don't like "tegulums" much - if I had to use the word in the plural myself, I would use tegula.

But we are entering a different subject now, which is how we treat plurals of Latin words when they become common words in the English language. We still normally use "maxima" (Latin) instead of "maximums". We talk of discussion "forums" (anglicised) for Taxacom and its ilk, not or only very rarely "fora" (correct Latin). Gardeners are very inconsistent. They talk of "crocuses" (anglicised) although the correct Latin plural of crocus is croci, but they don't say "narcissuses", they say "narcissi" (keeping the Latin plural). Both genera have been in cultivation for centuries but we've chosen to anglicise the plural of one but not the other. And when we talk of lilies in the plural using the Latin form, we say "liliums" (anglicised), not "lilia" (correct Latin neuter plural). And so on and so on ... 

So, if "tegulums" is "becoming vogue", use it if if you wish!

Dr Robert Mill
Gymnosperm Systematist
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
20A Inverleith Row
EDINBURGH EH3 5LR
Scotland, U.K.

Tel. + 44 (0) 131 248 2935 (direct)
Fax + 44 (0) 131 248 2901

-----Original Message-----
From: Robin Leech [mailto:releech at telus.net] 
Sent: 09 May 2011 18:17
To: Robert Mill; 'Vinícius Antonio de Oliveira Dittrich'
Cc: Taxacom
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Tegula, tegulae, tegulum, etc.

So, Robert, and others, may I summarize as:

In insects:

tegula (singular), tegulae (plural).

In spiders:

tegulum (singular), tegula (plural), and possibly tegulums (also plural)?

One spiderologist said that use today is tegulum (singular), and that 
tegulums (plural) is becoming vogue.

So, in the MS I am editing, should I leave "tegulum" for the singular, and 
"tegulums" for the plural when
the TEGULUMS of several species are being compared.  I had just never seen 
"tegulums" before.  My
spider books give the singular form only.

Robin

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Mill" <R.Mill at rbge.ac.uk>
To: "'Vinícius Antonio de Oliveira Dittrich'" <vinarc at gmail.com>; "Robin 
Leech" <releech at telus.net>
Cc: "Taxacom" <taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
Sent: Monday, May 09, 2011 10:26 AM
Subject: RE: [Taxacom] Tegula, tegulae, tegulum, etc.

Hi Taxacomers

No folks, that dictionary gives the nominative and genitive singulars, as is 
typical of Latin dictionaries.

However, if you look at the dictionary that Dr Dittrich has used, you will 
see that both tegula (feminine: genitive singular tegulae, with the 
nominative plural = tegulae,) and tegulum (neuter: genitive singular teguli, 
with the nominative plural tegula) are listed.

Therefore, as a non-zoologist but the resident Latin expert at this 
institution, it seems to me that some specialists have used the feminine 
word tegula for the organ concerned, and others (e.g. the arachnologists 
mentioned) have used the neuter word tegulum. My own Latin dictionary 
(Cassell's) only lists the feminine variant tegula, and gives the original 
meaning of 'a roof-tile'.

So, according to the dictionary Dr Dittrich has found, both plurals are 
correct. It depends on which word the original author used.

Best wishes, Robert

Dr Robert Mill
Gymnosperm Systematist
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
20A Inverleith Row
EDINBURGH EH3 5LR
Scotland, U.K.

Tel. + 44 (0) 131 248 2935 (direct)
Fax + 44 (0) 131 248 2901

-----Original Message-----
From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu 
[mailto:taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of Vinícius Antonio de 
Oliveira Dittrich
Sent: 09 May 2011 17:09
To: Robin Leech
Cc: Taxacom
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Tegula, tegulae, tegulum, etc.

   I think is *teguli*, Robin. Take a look here:
http://books.google.com.br/books?id=Z1F3xPqW2OQC&pg=PA1245&lpg=PA1245&dq=tegulum+teguli&source=bl&ots=9hM1Xizlzx&sig=L_SFirWpMkLUqHYbEPeTd3zobjs&hl=pt-BR&ei=1RDITbPGOozogQfx6_TLBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false

   Best wishes,
   Vinícius

-- 
Prof. Dr. Vinícius Antonio de Oliveira Dittrich
Curador do Herbário CESJ
Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora
Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, s/n - Campus Universitário, Bairro São Pedro
Juiz de Fora, MG, Brasil - CEP 36036-900
Work: 55 (32) 2102-3224
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Skype: vinacrt
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