OK.
let's settle this once and for all:
The word "virus" in latin itself exists only in this form. Countless
articles are to be found on its declension and at least on this they
agree: n the plural the common English form is viruses, IMHO being it a
mass name it should stay virus.
Viri, virii, vira, etc ... are all wrong.
Viri in particular as it is either the genitive singular, nominative
plural and vocative plural of the word "vir, viri" which means "man".
Virii, as it implies the singular virius, word not to be found in
ancient latin (nor modern ...)
Vira as it would imply the word virus belongs to the second declension,
while it apparently belongs to the fourth.
So you should use viruses, I might use either that or virus, but,
please guys and girls, not viri, otherwise you should all begin to get
worried when you start seeing little man try to get control of your
computers. It just comes soon before or after hearing voices ... ;-)
Ciao to all
Andrea
P.S.: to the list mom, I won't do it again, I'll be good ...
On 24/11/2005, at 11:27 AM, James Sanderson wrote:
Not to get toooooo far off the subject:
Virus is indeed derived from Latin according to the OED. More, it is
a second declension noun and would be declined thus:
Sing Plural
Nominative virus vir~{()~}
Genitive vir~{()~} vir~{(-~}rum
Dative vir~{(-~} vir~{()~}s
Accusative virum vir~{(-~}s
Ablative vir~{(-~} vir~{()~}s
Let there be no further question.
Jim Sanderson
On 23 Nov 2005, at 19:14, Bruce Johnson wrote:
On Nov 23, 2005, at 1:30 PM, Pablo Roufogalis L. wrote:
I use the sex and aids metaphor to warn customers about virii
(sorry, dad was a philologist).
Dad would say it's "viruses" not "virii".
In Latin the 'ii' form of the plural is wrong for that word anyway.
--
Bruce Johnson
This is the sig that says 'NI!'
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