Re: Drosera
Jan Schlauer (zxmsl01@studserv.zdv.uni-tuebingen.de)
Thu, 21 Oct 93 12:24:41 +0100
Perry,
your first assumption that _Drosera_ is first (a-) declension, was correct.
Thus, the plural should be _Droserae_ (I underline botanical names in order
to emphasize them in a normal text as recommended by the ICBN).
The naming of botanical species has to follow strict Latin usage. Even names
derived from other languages than Latin (_Drosera_ comes from the Greek
drosos, meaning dew, thence the common name sundew), have to be declinated
as if they were Latin names.
Kind regards
Jan
PS: I am not familiar with English grammar technical terms, as you may have
recognized already. E.g. I thought the english equivalent of the German
Deklination was declination (I now learned it has to be spelled declension).
How is the corresponding verb spelled correctly?
Maybe we should launch a grammar discussion list 8-)