Greek and Latin in Biological Nomenclature 47 



or inseparable particle), or more rarely a verbal stem. Nouns 

 are extremely rare as the first term of Latin compounds, except 

 where the last term is a verbal stem. Adjectives likewise, with 

 the exception of numerals and a few common words such as 

 acquits, longus, multus, etc., are rarely found in composition. In 

 consequence, the first terms of Latin compounds are very largely 

 made up of numerals and indeclinables, the latter taking, of 

 course, no connective. In Latin, inflected stems appear almost 

 invariably in the proper stem form. The infrequency of such 

 stems in composition doubtless accounts in a large measure for 

 this uniformity. 



NOUNS 



lani-pes (lana, wool, pes, foot) with wool on the feet 

 limi- genus (limits t mud, gigno, bring forth) mud-born 

 grant- fer (granum, grain, fero, bear) grain-bearing 

 funi-repus (funis, rope, repo, creep) rope-dancer 

 frugi-ferens (fru.v, frugis, fruit, ferens, bearing) fruitful 

 corpori-cida (corpus, corporis, body, caedo, cut) butcher 

 ori-putidus (os, oris, mouth, putidus, fetid) with vile mouth 

 corni-frons (cornu, horn, frons, forehead) with horned fore- 

 head 



lacu-turris (lacus, lake, turris, tower) a kind of cabbage 

 fidei-commisswn (fides, trust, committo, commit) a bequest 

 in trust 



ADJECTIVES 



laeti-ficns (laetus, glad, facto, make) gladdening 

 soli-vagus (solus, alone, vagor, wander) wandering alone 

 tardi-gradus (tardus, slow, gradior, walk) slow-paced 

 atri-capillus (ater, black, capillus, hair of the head) black- 

 haired 

 grandi-scapius (grandis, great, scapus, stem) having a large 



stem 



lein-caulis (levis, smooth, caulis, stem) smooth-stemmed 

 pleuri-laterus (plus, pluris, more, latus, lateris, side) with 



several sides 

 serpenti-pes (scrpens, creeping, pes, foot) serpent-footed 



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