OF NOMENCLATURE. 629 



the generic name, whether it be from the Latin or the Greek, is re- 

 quired. But then regard must be had to the form of the termination 

 of the adjective, as this is always determinate for certain purposes. 

 The termination of adjectives derived from animals is always ews in 

 Greek, and in Latin inus ; it is, consequently, with these terminations 

 that generic names must be formed into family names. Thus, for 

 instance, from Syrphus we must form the family name Syrphea, 

 because the in its transit into Latin becomes long e, as in Pythago- 

 reus, derived from Uvdayopfios. From the Latin word Cicindela we 

 should make, according to this rule, Cicindilina, and not with Latreille, 

 CicindeletfB. The terminations aceus, a, urn, which Jussieu introduced 

 into the families of plants, express the resemblance to the object of 

 the root of the word, and could therefore be perfectly correctly applied 

 also in Latin generic names, yet the termination inus should be pre- 

 ferred, as it is the most usual and common to indicate a derivation from 

 animals, as Asininus, Equinus, Ovinus, &c. 



359. 



A second adjective termination for family names is that which has 

 originated from the composition with ei56r, which the Greek termina- 

 tion ofiSrjs or cafys gives. It also expresses a resemblance with the idea 

 of the root, but can only be united with such words as originate from 

 the Greek. We nevertheless find in Linnaeus errors against this rule, 

 for example, Curculionides derived from Curculio. Error has fre- 

 quently happened from appending this termination to the nominative, as 

 it, which is the case in all compounds, should be added to the root, con- 

 sequently to the genitive upon the rejection of the genitive termination. 

 The Romans, as far as I know, have received no Greek word thus 

 formed into their language, and we can therefore merely decide by 

 analogy upon the transmutation that must take place upon this transi- 

 tion. In Greek they are of the common gender, and arc declined by 

 the third contracted declension, consequently, upon their transition 

 into Latin, they would most appropriately follow the third declension 

 also, and their inflexions be made analogous to original Greek words. I 

 have thus treated these names, buthave left the uncontracted Greek form 

 always in the neuter, for the sake of distinction, as Carabodea instead 

 of Caraboda. It is still doubtful whether we should use aides or odes, 

 as both forms exist in the classics, for instance, in Aristotle Kapa/3oetS)s 



