Better not check with her Joan - she might be disappointed that you were not sure! R & J Winfield wrote: > I agree with Eric. My Latin teacher was very specific. Thus the endings > in Latin for virus would have been: > us, e, o, um, e, o in the singular and > i, orum, is, os, i, is in the plural. > > She had a habit of drawing a circle on the board and asking you to stick > your nose in it if you goofed up. So I learned those endings really > quickly and very thoroughly. By the way, she is still very much alive > and I could check with her if you wish. > > Joan > > Eric D. wrote: > > > > on 27/12/02 20:50, Eurogarth at eurogarth@xxxxxxxxxx wrote: > > > > > Actually, the practice (or is it practise?) of using the =B3I=B2 for > > > plural > > > forms of words comes from Greek rather than Latin . Virus is Latin and so > > > the correct plural would be viruses. Greek tends to be more efficient wit= > > h > > > > The meaning of virus as we use it (the concept of viruses had to wait a few > > millennia before it was developed) is _not_ Latin (or Greek) in origin, and= > > , > > thus, English pluralisation (?) rules apply. > > > > Hmmm. I could've sworn that I learnt that -i is one way of making Latin > > words plural... then again, it's been a few years! > > > > Eric > > > > For information concerning the MUGLO List just click on > > > > http://muglo.on.ca/pages/members.html#Joinmuglo > > > > Don't forget to periodically check our web site at: > > > > http://muglo.on.ca/ > > _________________________________________________ > > For information concerning the MUGLO List just click on > > http://muglo.on.ca/pages/members.html#Joinmuglo > > Don't forget to periodically check our web site at: > > http://muglo.on.ca/ _________________________________________________ For information concerning the MUGLO List just click on http://muglo.on.ca/pages/members.html#Joinmuglo Don't forget to periodically check our web site at: http://muglo.on.ca/