a2 THE NAUTILUS. 
(1) What is the stem of Turris? (2) Is it possible to insert 
atin the second syllable of this stem without changing the 
nature of the word itself? (3) In view of the facts as stated, 
and in strict adherence to Article 4 of the International Rules, 
what do you consider to be the preferred orthography for the 
family name hased on this genus? (4) Do you consider any 
alternative spellings permissible? 
Professor Foster’s reply is so detailed and withal so interest- 
ing that with his kind permission I am reproducing the major 
portion of it here, especially since it seems conclusive regarding 
the points at issue. 
‘<The stem of turris is turri; and the ending ides would give 
us turriides. But it is a rule of word-formation that ‘the final 
vowel of a stem is lost before the initial vowel of a suffix, e. g., 
aur-eus (‘golden’) from auro- (aurum).’ (Hale and Buck, 
Latin Grammar, 205.2.) Therefore we may at once rule out 
Turrvidae as a possible derivative, in favor of Turridae (1 give 
the plural, as this seems to be what you want; the singular 
would be turrides). 
‘‘The ending in question is really a Greek suffix, used to 
denote that the name in question means the son (or descend- 
ant) of the person designated by the simple noun. Thus 
Turrides would mean ‘son of a Tower,’ and Turridae, ‘the sons 
of a Tower,’ or ‘the Tower family.’ When I say that it is 
Greek, I do not mean that it is not found in Latin; it is found 
frequently, but always, I think, in Greak patronymics (or Latin 
patronymics consciously formed in imitation of the Greek ones), 
which the Latin writer (usually a poet) has occasion to intro- 
duce into his text. Examples would be: Pelides * son of Peleus,’ 
Philyrides ‘son of Philyra.’ 
‘“As to the form Turritidae, it is obviously meant as a deriva- 
tive from the adjective turritus. The stem of this adjective is 
turrito, but, as above, the final short vowel would be dropped 
before the initial vowel of the ending -idae, and Turritidae is 
therefore correctly formed. But it is to be observed that the 
suffix, or ending in question is employed in Latin authors only 
in composition with the names of persons, nouns substantive, 
and that Twrritidae would therefore be decidedly anomalous. 
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