[Taxacom] ICZN - gender of genus-group name ending in -ops

[Michael A. Ivie]

On 5/19/2016 12:09 PM, Karl Magnacca wrote:
> ...
> Unfortunately, now that it's been the practice for 200 years, we're
> stuck with this unholy mess and no easy way to fix it...
Although I can hear the nashing of traditionalist's teeth as I write 
this, it is actually very easy to fix it, and we are not stuck with it.  
The Lepidopterists have fixed it, they simply use original spelling.  
The whole community has agreed to do this, and it works fine.  Since 
there is no enforcement provisions in the Code, usage in the end 
determines correctness.  All it takes is the will, and the execution is 
very easy.

I do not condone doing it the way the Lep folks have, i.e. outside the 
Code system, but it is a reaction to frustration with arcane and archaic 
strictures from the dim dark past.

When Linneaus and Fabricius wrote, they wrote in Latin, so of course 
they used Latin grammar regarding gender, just was we use English verb 
agreement when writing in English.  The enshrinement of using grammar 
from a language not being used is an artificial construct. There is 
nothing about it that is inevitable nor required.

Mike

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Michael A. Ivie, Ph.D., F.R.E.S.

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