Bacteria and Viruses 7 7 



Principle 4. 



PRINCIPLE 4. Scientific names of all taxonomic groups (taxa) are usually 

 taken from Latin or Greek. When taken from any language other than Latin, 

 or formed in an arbitrary manner, they are treated as if they were Latin. 

 Latin terminations should be used so far as possible for new names. 



ANNOTATIONS 



Principle 4. The meaning of the phrase "usually taken from 

 Latin or Greek" is made clear by prevailing custom. The phrase does 

 not mean that only those Latin and Greek words as found in the 

 dictionaries and lexicons may be used, but that new words proposed 

 as names or epithets may also be coined from the stems of these 

 words singly or as compounds. It is assumed that the classic tradi- 

 tion for the forming of new names will be followed. 



Appendix A may be used as a guide for the transcription of 

 Greek into Latin form and for the use of the appropriate Latin 

 gender endings, as prescribed in the last sentence of this Principle. 



This statement is a Principle and not a Rule. The Botanical 

 Code, from which this Principle was taken, has altered the last sen- 

 tence from the form of a Recommendation to a definite requirement. 

 It reads: 



Latin terminations are used so tar as possible for ne^v names. 

 The Zoological Rules state: 



The scientific name of an animal must be a word that is either Latin 

 or Latinised or considered and treated as such in case it is not of 

 classic origin. 



The standard of classical Latin is not to be applied in such a man- 

 ner as to ignore later developments of the language or to override 

 considerations of scientific accuracy, uniformity, intelligibility or 

 practical usefulness. 

 This Principle applies to names of genera and subgenera and to 

 specific and subspecific epithets. In general, it is clearly intended that 

 a name taken from a language such as Greek shotild be transliterated 

 in accordance with classic usage, and that the word be placed in the 

 appropriate Latin declension with Latin endings. Each of the bio- 

 logical codes of nomenclature has added some rules and recommenda- 

 tions to supplement those of classic usage for situations not en- 

 visaged in classic Latin. 



Section 1 (Chapter 3) , Rules 1-9 on "Naming of Taxa of Various 

 Ranks" and Section 7 (Chapter 3) , Rules 27-28 on "Orthography 

 and Gender of Names" with their Recommendations, together with 

 .Appendices A and B, spell out in some detail the interpretation of 

 this Principle 4. The types of problems (with examples) encountered 

 are discussed in the several annotations. 



