Greek and Latin in Biological Nomenclature 63 



is but one logical position, namely, similar terms are identical in 

 nomenclature when as Greek and Latin words they exhibit no 

 essential differences. Thus, Cerastium, Ceratium, and Ceratia 

 are merely different forms of a Greek word KepaTiov, and are 

 homonyms, while Lecane, Lecanarium, and Lecanidium are dif- 

 ferent words, the last two being formed upon the first by the 

 use of suffixes. Frequent afifixation of the same stem should be 

 carefully avoided, however, regardless of the validity of the re- 

 sultnig derivatives. 



Such Greek words as a.v6o<i, y/3a<^t?, Ke^aA?/, and their relatives, 

 which are extremely frequent in nomenclature, will serve very well 

 to show the difference between homonyms and similar yet valid 

 terms. Besides many compounds, the lexicon shows twenty deriv- 

 atives of the root avd- : of these, the following seventeen are suffi- 

 ciently distinct to justify their use: av^os, t6, flower; avOrjXrj, 1], pan- 

 icle; avBcfjiov, TO, flower; avOifXLov, TO, floweret; avOlov, to, floweret; 

 ni'$ipiKo<;, 6, flower of asphodel; dvdtwv ( av9u)v) , 6, flower bed; 

 dvdeixw8r]'i, flower-like; dv^e/xc'eis, flowery; dvOefxwTO'i, adorned with 

 flowers; avOrjSwv, -rj, bee; dvOrjpcs, flowery; dvOr)pcTr)?,ri, bloom ; av^T^o-is, 

 r), full bloom; dv^r/rt/co?, blossoming; dv^ivo?, blooming; dvOoavvrj, tj, 

 bloom. Ai'^t;, 17, full bloom, flower, should be avoided in composi- 

 tion, since it is identical" with avdo<; when used as a first term, and is 

 confusing as a last term; ai^etov is identical with dvOiov, and dvOefiis too 

 near tti/^£)u.ov to be fortunate. The root ypa.<^- shows two series of de- 

 rivatives, one based upon the root, and the other upon the stem 



ypap.p.'j.T-. Of the latter, ypa.p.p.a, TO, letter, picture, ypafx.p.aTuov, TO, 

 document, y/3u/i./xaret'Stov, to, small tablets, ypap.p.aT€v<i, 6, scribe, and 

 ypa/jifxaTLKrj, r), written character, are different, while ypafx/xi], r), 

 stroke, line, is to be regarded as a mere alternative of ypa.p.p.%. In 

 the first series, ypa(}>rj, rj, drawing, ypa^eiov, t6, pencil, ypa<f>ei6iov, to, 

 pencil, and y/3a<^tKcs, graphic, are distinct, but ypa<f>L<;, r/, stylus, and 

 ypdc^os, TO, letter, are alternatives. Of the derivatives of Ke(f)aXrj, r), 

 head, Kct^aXt's, rj, little head, should be avoided, but the following 

 are distinct; K£<^dAtov, to, little head; Ke<f>aXt8Lov, to, little head; 

 KecjiaXivY], rj, head of the tongue; Kee^aXtKo's. of the head; Kec^aXaios, 

 of the head; Kc^aAaicoSiy?, chief. Nomenclature would, however, 

 become very much involved for anyone but the philologist, if all 



383 



