✳flâneur — a map of the web's best reading

Language Log: More Pseudo-Latin Plurals

itre.cis.upenn.edu · 679 words · saved by 1 readers

Correspondents have pointed out some further examples of Pseudo-Latin Plurals. The cases that I have previously mentioned involve incorrect choices of stem form and ending. The new examples involve attempts to make plurals of things that in Latin were not nouns. Donald Davidson brings to our attention sub poenae, intended as the plural of sub poena. In legal English sub poena is used as a noun to refer to a court order for a witness to appear or to produce documents or other evidence. In the later usage it is short for sub poena duces tecum "Under penalty you will bring with you". duces is the verb "you will bring". tecum is the combination of the pronoun te "you (singular)" and the preposition cum "with". sub poena is a prepositional phrase consisting of the preposition sub "under" and the noun poena "penalty". A prepositional phrase is not a noun and cannot be made plural by changing the ending of its noun to the plural. Indeed, the nominal part of this prepositional phrase is not in

Language Log: More Pseudo-Latin Plurals More Pseudo-Latin Plurals Correspondents have pointed out some further examples of Pseudo-Latin Plurals. The cases that I have previously mentioned involve incorrect choices of stem form and ending. The new examples involve attempts to make plurals of things that in Latin were... Bill Poser 2004-04-25T10:20:55-05:00 --> Language Log << Octopussies | Main | In due time >> April 25, 2004 More Pseudo-Latin Plurals Correspondents have pointed out some further examples of Pseudo-Latin Plurals . The cases that I have previously mentioned involve incorrect choi

Explore this link on the map →

related reading