Mike is correct, according to the definitive source, the Oxford Latin Dictionary. Virus is a 2nd declension neuter noun that appears almost exclusively in nominative & accusative singular forms (both virus), with one use each of ablative singular (viro) and genitive singular (viri) by Lucretius, no plurals. If a Latin plural were to be created, it would have to be *vira*, since virus is neuter. When neither ancients nor creators of biological classification Latin terms used a plural, an English pluralization is usually preferred; to out-Latin the Latinists themselves can make one seem pedantic.
On 02/24/06 04pm, Mike Cherba wrote: > Well, I'm not a Latin speaker, but according to my sources the correct > english plural for virus is viruses. > ( http://dictionary.reference.com/help/faq/language/v/virus.html , > http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9106000?query=virus&ct= ) > > there is some dispute over whether Virus is a 2nd or 4th declension > noun, but most scholars agree that it is one of a rare group of either > 2nd or 4th declension neuters which include pelagus, cetus, and vulgus. > Apparently, the Romans rarely if ever pluralized the word virus and > there are technical problems with both the plurals listed here, (virii > and vir??s ) > > viri is the nominative plural not of virus (slime, poison, or venom), > but of vir (man) > > vir??s is not a word. and in any case would have only been valid if one > decides that virus is a 2nd declension noun and not 4th in which > situation a scholar could easily make a case that virora is an equally > valid form. > > In general, the best advice I can find says pluralize in english here. > -Mike > > > > > On Fri, 2006-02-24 at 16:10 -0800, Michael Miller wrote: > > Yet, I forgot to tell the rest of the group that English is my second > > language. My first language is Bad English. > > > > Thanks, > > > > Michael Miller > > > > On 2/24/06, Patrick R. Wade <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Michael Miller wrote: > > > the rest of you would not like the viri (sp) that I may > > have. > > > > "Virus" is fourth declension, so the plural would end with a > > long U > > instead of a short: vir??s. > > > > -- > > Q: What hardware platform does Oracle perform best on? > > A: A 35mm slide projector. > > - Charlie Gibbs in > > alt.folklore.computers > > _______________________________________________ > > EUGLUG mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://www.euglug.org/mailman/listinfo/euglug > > > > _______________________________________________ > > EUGLUG mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://www.euglug.org/mailman/listinfo/euglug > -- > Mike Cherba > Cavium Networks > 883 Brookside Dr > Eugene, OR 97405 > phone: (541) 684-3820 > Cell: (541) 914-2188 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > www.caviumnetworks.com _______________________________________________ EUGLUG mailing list [email protected] http://www.euglug.org/mailman/listinfo/euglug
