144 Infernational Code of Nomenclature 



Appendix B. Alternative Spellings 



4. In the formation of names of taxa and of specific epithets 

 the Greek diphthong m should be transliterated as ae. 

 Words in which the diphthong at is transliterated as e 

 are to be regarded as orthographic variants of those cor- 

 rectly transliterated. Orthographic variants based upon 

 different types are to be regarded as homonyms. Names 

 of taxa in which at has been improperly transliterated 

 may be corrected. 



5. In a Greek compound in which the second or later com- 

 ponent has p as the initial letter and in which the com- 

 ponent is preceded by a vowel (but not a diphthong) 

 the p should be doubled and transliterated as rrh. A 

 transliteration as r or rh is to be regarded as an ortho- 

 graphic variant, and if the taxa bearing the names are 

 based on different types they should be treated as homo- 

 nyms. Orthographic variants of this kind may be cor- 

 rected. 



(c) Alternative spellings of gender and case endings. 



1. Epithets and names of taxa with alternative spellings 

 arising from the use in Latin of the endings -us and -os 

 for transliterated masculine nouns and adjectives which 

 in the Greek end in -os are orthographic variants. Simi- 

 larly, the alternative spellings arising from the use in Latin 

 of the endings -tim and -07i for transliterated neuter nouns 

 and adjectives which in the Greek end in -ov are ortho- 

 graphic variants. When based upon different types, they 

 should be regarded as homonyms. When used as the name 

 of a taxon the correct spelling is that used by the author 

 in the first valid publication. When used as an adjectival 

 specific epithet, the Latin endings -us and -um are to be 

 preferred. Specific epithets may be coiTected to the pre- 

 ferred spelling. 



2. Greek nouns used as specific epithets in the genitive may 

 have alternative spellings arising from the use in Latin of 

 the endings -is and -os for transliterated Greek nouns 

 whose genitive case ending in the Greek is -o?; they are 

 to be regarded as orthographic variants. The preferred 

 spelling is -is, and variants may be corrected. 



