Questions about the use of Latin words and phrases in English.
3
votes
0answers
50 views
Is “qo” a step in the evolution of the question mark?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Question_mark
According to the wikipedia article I've linked to above, "qo" was sometimes used in the middle ages to abbreviate the latin word "questio" in the way that we ...
-2
votes
1answer
66 views
How do you pluralize “cuirass”? [closed]
I've had a hard time finding the plural form of the word "cuirass". I know it's a Latin word, but is there any common English (or Latin) pluralization?
3
votes
1answer
216 views
“via” vs. “through”
Could you please explain what the difference in usage is between through and via, which sounds like a Latinism?
Are they completely interchangeable?
0
votes
1answer
27 views
Set of desiderata or set of desiderate?
Desideratum is a desired feature.
Which form is right?
Google search shows that "set of desiderata" is more common. But is it correct?
e.g., a sentence
In this paper, a set of desiderate for ...
2
votes
2answers
181 views
Quintology or Pentalogy?
Recently I was looking at the X-Men box set and saw that currently five have been released.
I had it in my head that these would be called a quintology but I have seen them being called a pentalogy.
...
0
votes
1answer
62 views
Etymology of the word 'finesse'
According to Merriam-Webster, one of the definitions of the word finesse is as follows:
refinement or delicacy of workmanship, structure, or texture
Now, based on the fact that the Latin base ...
6
votes
1answer
104 views
Why is there an “h” in “pulchritude”?
I'd assumed that pulchritude was derived from Greek, because of the "ch" but it turns out to be from Latin pulcher. I've been taught that "c" always has a hard pronunciation in Latin, so why would ...
1
vote
1answer
60 views
Is it correct to start a sentence with “Ad question one…”?
I'm pretty sure I've read "Ad question one..." in the sense of "Addressing question one..." before, but the only usage on the web I find is by someone with a Hispanic name and m-w.com doesn't seem to ...
0
votes
4answers
230 views
Plural form of Octopus and Radius [duplicate]
I have recently found this video online from Merriam Webster saying the plural form of octopus is in fact octopuses. The video explains how octopus comes from the Greek language and thus it would be ...
3
votes
2answers
741 views
How should an English speaker pronounce “vice versa”?
When using vice versa in spoken English, I tend to just completely Anglicise it and pronounce it vise VER-ser, with only one syllable in vice.
The original would be something like VEE-cay VER-sa, but ...
8
votes
5answers
1k views
Is “et al.” used as a singular or plural subject?
When referring to multiple authors by using the name of the first author and "et al.", is it correct to grammatically treat this as one person or multiple persons?
Gamma et al. are saying in their ...
1
vote
3answers
147 views
What is the correct possessive genitive for “media”?
I hope I've used the right terms in the title; I'm not a native speaker.
The singular of media is of course medium. So when talking about one medium's content, the genitive s and apostrophe are easy ...
10
votes
4answers
413 views
What is the meaning and usage of the abbreviation “v. a.”?
At the time of this writing there is no explanation on wiktionary, and searching the web does not yield an answer, only more instances of its use:
A random entry at the Etymological Dictionary of ...
0
votes
1answer
103 views
Caesar and caesura
Caesar and caesura are two similar-sounding Latin words which have made their way into English unsullied in terms of their orthography. The same can however not be said of their pronunciations. The ...
3
votes
2answers
468 views
Can “alma mater” refer to any school you’ve graduated from, not just college? [closed]
I was wondering whether alma mater refers to all the schools you have been in, or just to college.
For example, suppose someone has an undergranduate degree from one institution, a masters degree ...
-2
votes
1answer
98 views
Is “… et al. data.” proper grammar? [closed]
Would it be proper grammar to use the Latin phrase in the following way?
The items inserted came from departments, employees et al. data.
14
votes
4answers
287 views
Latin plurals when talking about fallacies
I have read multiple questions on this site on Latin plurals, and I’ve learned that you can use both English plurals and Latin plurals with words which originate from Latin (e.g. referendum - ...
5
votes
5answers
125 views
Can et al. be applied to companies?
I am used to seeing this used to condense a list of authors; however, is it correct to apply it to a list of companies? For example, would it make sense to say:
Seminars being held by Google, ...
1
vote
2answers
199 views
Exempli Gratia help [closed]
Is there a plural for e.g., the abbreviation of exempli gratia? Or is it regular to use it before multiple examples? I know that some abbreviations double up in their letters in the plural, but I ...
5
votes
2answers
166 views
Plural of “Animus/Anima”
What is the plural of the words “animus” and “anima”? In any context (literary, Jung psychology, apothecary etc.). Is there English v. Latin differences? Interwebs are no help: versions differ from ...
5
votes
3answers
189 views
What is the correct Latinate prefix for honey-eaters?
In English, a vegetarian who eats eggs and dairy products can be referred to as an ovo-lacto vegetarian. By the same token, could a person who eats honey but is otherwise vegan be meaningfully called ...
0
votes
2answers
323 views
Long vs. short vowels in English words of Latin origin
Is there any way to determine if a vowel is short or long in English words of Latin origin? I've noticed that u is usually long in Latin words (e.g., Jupiter) but what about other vowels?
3
votes
2answers
190 views
What is the origin of the different pronunciations of C and G before different vowels?
In English the letters C and G usually have different pronunciation before a/o/u and before e/i. The same is true for Romance languages - French, Spanish, Catalan, Italian etc.
What is the origin of ...
7
votes
3answers
220 views
Latin pronunciation [closed]
(You may well say this doesn't fit into an "English language" site, but the scientific Latin terms could be said to be part of English.)
My young daughter loves snails; I would like her to learn the ...
1
vote
1answer
94 views
Pluralisation of Latin Words [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Which style of Latin plurals should I use?
Is “data” considered singular or plural?
Where are the "data"? I only have one "datum".
Listening to Radio 4's Today ...
0
votes
1answer
143 views
What is the meaning of “Ha et cetera”?
In William Golding´s Paper Men, the main character keeps saying "Ha et cetera". What does he mean by this? Is it simply another way of saying "ha, ha, ha" (laughter)?
1
vote
2answers
149 views
Why is there a [sic] in this passage?
The following passage comes from The American Journey (sixth edition), page 156. It's a quote of George F. Regas, addressing President George W. Bush (not in person). Notice the [sic] after the word ...
9
votes
2answers
290 views
What is the ultimate etymology of “false”?
The first two are based on wiktionary
false
From Middle English false, from Old English fals (“false, fraud, falsehood”), from Latin falsus (“counterfeit, false; falsehood”), perfect passive ...
2
votes
1answer
924 views
Where do “‑ess” and “‑ine” suffixes come from?
English has a lot of words that end in ‑ess or ‑esse, such as actress, hostess, huntress, finesse, duress, prowess, Lyonesse, and Westernesse.
That looks like a suffix that is also used frequently ...
3
votes
1answer
61 views
How do you refer to a member of a biological taxon in the singular?
If I wish to refer to, say, an Owl in the more generic form as a member of the biological order Strigiformes, what is the correct modification of the apparently plural word into a singular form?
For ...
5
votes
2answers
151 views
Is “sectio caesare” an appropriate English alternative to “caesarian section”?
On Parenting.se we recently received this question, which refers to sectio caesare birth.
I was not familiar with the term, but found that wikipedia redirects the term to the caesarian section page.
...
4
votes
3answers
3k views
What is the difference between “Hept-” and “Sept-” prefixes?
As I understand it, both the prefixes "Hept-" and "Sept-" are used to indicate seven of something.
We have examples of English words that use both:
e.g.
Heptathalon, Heptagon, Heptane
vs
...
5
votes
3answers
565 views
Using “inter alia” in non-legal language?
I've been reading many opinions from the United State Supreme Court and discovered the phrase "inter alia," meaning "among other things." I have not encountered this phrase outside of these opinions.
...
-1
votes
1answer
638 views
Synonym for “in terms of” (of Latin origin)
I am trying to remember a synonym for "being" or "in terms of" ... It is a Latin word that has entered the English language.
3
votes
1answer
210 views
Is the singular form of “desiderata” a disused word?
I was interested in the following paragraph which appeared in an article titled “A New Gauge to See What’s Beyond Happiness" by John Tierney in The New York Times (May 16, 2011).
“They wanted to ...
0
votes
0answers
112 views
quadratic equation vs. quad [closed]
A quad is four of something - such as quadruplets. However, a quadratic equation is named for the squaring of the first term:
ax2 + bx + c
Looking up the etymology, both go back to quadratus or ...
4
votes
1answer
619 views
When listing species of plants, what does “var.” mean?
Sometimes within the Latin names of plants, I will find the word "var.", which I assume is an abbreviation, e.g. Ursinia chrysanthemoides var. geyeri.
What is the meaning of this?
Is it sometimes ...
3
votes
1answer
205 views
Should the abbreviated forms of Latin terms be placed in italics?
When writing English, one often uses Latin terms, such as exemplī grātiā, opere citātō, and id est, but in abbreviated forms, "e.g.", "op. cit.", and "i.e.". When writing Latin terms in English, one ...
2
votes
3answers
104 views
Something similar to “plepentry envoy”
Long time ago I heard a word that to the best of my recollection is "plepentry envoy"
I have googled a few variants, but "pleopentry envoy", "pelepentry envoy" etc. but nothing similar is coming up. ...
1
vote
1answer
879 views
What is the proper plural of “a series”? [closed]
In math, we use the term series a lot, and there are many types of series.
How should I craft my sentence when I have three different ones in mind to talk about? Should I settle down for a less ...
13
votes
4answers
391 views
When do I use -i for expressing the plural of a word?
I've never been certain of the rules surrounding the use of the -i suffix for pluralizing a word. I had thought that it was used for any word whose singular ended in an 's', but that doesn't appear to ...
2
votes
3answers
197 views
What are the replacements for “i.e.” and what are their differences?
I can think of "that is to say", "in other words", "put differently". And I'd like to know if there are any subtle differences in the usage of these synonyms. Can they always be used interchangeably ...
3
votes
4answers
980 views
Are words “Sophisticated” and “Sophism” logically connected?
I am not a native English speaker. The other day, I've had a conversation with an American, who claims my assumption to be wrong. I still think I am correct, so here it is:
According to Wikipedia, ...
3
votes
3answers
2k views
Pronunciation and usage of “bona fide”
As I am reading books and articles, I come across this bona fide. How do you pronounce this? How do you use it properly?
I know the definition is in good faith, like if you are welcomed to someone's ...
-2
votes
3answers
489 views
Abbreviation for “or the rest” (or “or others”)?
The Latin et cetera, abbreviated etc., is often used at the end of an incomplete, inclusive list of items when it is clear that there are more items than can be enumerated conveniently and there is no ...
3
votes
5answers
717 views
Using “exempli gratia” in essays
Can I use "exempli gratia" (short for e.g.) in place of "for example?" If so, do I need to add any words to it to completely replace the phrase "for example?"
7
votes
4answers
2k views
Why is “de facto” often written in italic?
Often when I see "de facto" written somewhere it is in italic. For example:
LaTeX website:
LaTeX is a high-quality typesetting system; it includes features
designed for the production of ...
10
votes
3answers
370 views
Is it acceptable to mix Latin with English?
Is it acceptable to mix small amounts of Latin with English?
Right now, ________ is persona non grata.
Is this proper English?
5
votes
5answers
860 views
How popular is “sine qua non” in English? If I use it in day to day conversation, will I be scoffed at?
I saw the word “sine qua non” in the article of New York Times (October 12) written by Gail Collins under the title, “The Gift of Glib.”
The article deals with the big Republican debate held in New ...
9
votes
1answer
363 views
English Subjunctive: An Imposition from Latin?
Often English grammar (as well as Koinê Greek, e.g "deponent", and probably others), has often been ruled by what I call "totalitarian grammarians" who impose Latin structures on it rather than doing ...
