A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

-poda,-orum (pl.n.II): Latin noun suffix, neuter plural combining form of Latin adj. –podus,-a,-um (adj.A), q.v. used in various taxonomic ranks (in zoology e.g. Class, Order, Subphyllum, Phyllum) [> Gk. pous,-podos (s.m.III) (after WIII)].

NOTE: the noun –poda in Latin is actually an adjective modifying the plural of a neuter noun, presumably ‘animalia,’ as in Kingdom Animalia [> L. animal (s.n.III), q.v., gen. sg. animalis, nom. & acc.pl. animalia]; see –podus,-a,-um (adj.A).

NOTE: the Latin noun ‘animal, gen.sg. animalis’ is a third declension neuter noun; see animal (Eng.noun).

  Arthropod, pl. Arthropods: > Phyllum [Animalia] Arthropoda
           Singular                   Plural
Nom.  [there is no singular] [Animalia]   Arthropoda
Gen.                         [Animalium]  Arthropodorum
Dat.                         [Animalibus] Arthropodis
Acc.                         [Animalia]   Arthropoda
Abl.                         [Animalibus] Arthropodis

In the following, all endings in –poda are adjectives deriving from –podus,-a,-um (adj.A)[> Gk. pous, gen sg. podos (s.m.III), nom.& acc. pl. –podes, a foot], a neuter plural ending (modifying nom.pl. animalia).

Arthropod, pl. Arthropods: PHYLUM [Animalia] Arthropoda [> Gk. arthron, joint + -podus,-a,-um (adj.A)], ‘joint-foot;’ with a segmented body and jointed appendages in pairs; jointed limbs. Each segment with an appendage-pair.

Brachiopod, pl. Brachiopods; PHYLUM (Animalia) Brachiopoda [> Gk. brachion, ‘arm, shoulder’ + -podus,-a,-um (adj.A)], ‘arm-foot’ perhaps due to the hinges of the valves at the rear of the shell with the front (the arms) opening and closing.

Cephalopod, pl. Cephalopods: CLASS [Animalia] Cephalopoda [> Gk. celphalE [kephalE], a head + -podus,-a,-um (adj.A)], head-foot, for the prominent head and the arms and tentacles.

Decapod, pl. Decapods: ORDER [Animalia] Decapoda [> Gk. deca-, ten + -podus,-a,-um (adj.A)], ‘ten-foot,’ ‘ten-footed.’

Myriapod, pl. Myriapods: SUBPHYLUM [Animalia] Myriapoda [> Gk. myrios, ten thousand + -podus,-a,-um (adj.A), i.e. with numerous (i.e. a large number of) feet.

Octopod, pl. Octopods: ORDER [Animalia] Octopoda [> Gk. octo-, eight, + -podus,-a,-um (adj.A), foot, arm, tentacle].

Sauropod, pl. Sauropods: CLADE (also Infraorder) [Animalia] Sauropoda [> Gk. sauros (s.m.II) or saura (s.f.I), a lizard + podus,-a,-um (adj.A)] Lizard-foot.

NOTE: -poda,-ae (s.f.I) when a generic name:

–poda is a grammatical noun (not an adj.) when it is a generic name. The formation of any species epithet requires a generic noun in the singular that has gender (m.f.n.) and declension (I, II, III, IV, V). When a generic name ending in –poda is a noun, it needs to be officially or validly designated as a feminine nominative singular noun of the first declension. For example, the spider genus Heteropoda appears, from the grammatical formation of its specific epithets, to be accepted by the zoological community as a feminine singular noun of the first declension:

               Heteropoda,-ae (s.f.I): a genus of spiders.
       singular      plural
Nom.  Heteropoda   Heteropodae
Gen.  Heteropodae  Heteropodarum
Dat.  Heteropodae  Heteropodis
Acc.  Heteropodam  Heteropodas
Abl.  Heteropoda   Heteropodis

NOTE: –poda here does not modify Animalia as the generic name is a noun in its own right.

Epithets have been formed to modify the spider genus Heteropoda:

(A adjectives): H. acuta, alta, furva, gemella, javana, lentula, montana.

(B-adjectives, ending in –is in the masc., and fem.: H. juglans, luwuensis, leptoscelis, mediocris.

(Nouns in apposition): H. alticola, altithorax, bhaikakai, bulburin, cavernicola, maukin, davidbowie, goonaneman, [which include indeclineable

Nouns (gender neuter), usually derived from native languages, perhaps H. nagarigoon).

(Nouns in the genitive singular or plural): altmannae, beroni, boiei, boutani, fischeri, garciai, hampsoni, hillerae, hosei, jaegerorum, monroei; [note these genitive endings may not or do not conform to recommendations in the botanical code).

, NOTE: the botanical genus Anisopoda (Apiaceae), must conform to this grammar: one species Anisopoda bupleuroides, endemic to Madagascar. Another Arkopoda, a genus established by Rafinesque (Resedaceae), is a feminine noun, as its modifying epithet is ‘luteola:’ Arkopoda luteola (L.) Raf. (= Reseda luteola).

NOTE: the genus Pachypodan-ae (s.f.I0 (capsid bugs) is a feminine, first declension noun (P. mundula; P. sordida; P. turrialba; P. vultuosa.

B. NOTE: -podus,-i (s.m.II) when a generic name:

               Sauropodus,-i (s.m.II): a genus of spiders.
       singular    plural
Nom.  Sauropodus  Sauropodi
Gen.  Sauropodi   Sauropodorum
Dat.  Sauropodo   Sauropodis
Acc.  Sauropodum  Sauropodos
Abl.  Sauropodo   Sauropodis

An unnamed (nomen dubium) extinct genus of sauropod dinosaur.