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Differt: 'It Differs From' + ab (Prep.) and the
Ablative Case |
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Differt: 'It Differs From' + ab (Prep.) and the
Ablative Case P. M. Eckel The
following exercise relates to the verb form 'differt', 'it differs,' a word
frequently used in the diagnosis of new taxa. It seeks to impart a degree of
confidence in the use of 'differt' and words with similar meaning in the
context of the diagnosis, or diagnostic part of a description of a new taxon.
'Differt'
and all of the following forms use the preposition ab ('a' generally before
consonants) meaning 'from': it always has its object in the Ablative Case
(note that less often the preposition ex ('e' generally before consonants) is
used). NOTE: Some
readers may not be familiar enough with Botanical Latin to know that all
ranks, including the species name (genus + epithet), are always declined in a
Latin prose sentence. Consequently, in a Latin sentence, if the new taxon is
'different from' another taxon, the other, differing taxon is in the
ablative case after the preposition
'ab', 'from'. Summary of Ablative Case
Endings: (Declension = roman numerals) singular plural I. Abl. -a
-is usu. feminine nouns II. Abl.
-o -is both masc. & neuter nouns III. Abl.
-e -ibus in all genders [there are some irregulars, always -i, and only in the ablative
singular, such as -i in compounds of -cystis,-is (s.f.III), 'bladder'] IV. Abl.
-u -ibus (-ubus in lacus
and tribus) usually masculine nouns V. Abl.
-e -iebus usually feminine nouns Some
adjectives and participles in the ablative (as epithets): Dative singular plural Adj.
A longo (m) longa(f)longo (n) -longis
(all genders) Adj.
B simili (all genders) -similibus (all genders) Adj.
B sinensi (all genders) -sinensibus (all genders) Part.
B protrudenti (all genders) -protrudentibus (all genders) NOTE:
Generally the participle ablative ending in the singular is -e if the
participle takes an object, and -i if it is only attributive or predicative
(assigning an attribute to something). I think this rule cannot be regularly
followed because the more important epithets, as far as botanical usage is
concerned, derive from Latin prose sentences in Linnaeus' [Genera Plantarum].
This and other protologues would have to be consulted to see whether the
participle that has become the epithet took an object in the sentence in
which it was introduced to see whether to use -e or -i in a Latin prose
sentence - something I doubt is worth the effort. A suggestion: to use -i for the dative,
-e for the ablative singular in declining present participles. Example:
liana solum tingente, with the liana touching the ground, but liana tingenti,
the touching liana. COMPARATIVE
Use of the
adverbs (indeclineable) magis, 'more, more completely' and maxime 'most, to
the highest degree' to express the comparative and superlative is suggested. Comparative:
Species nova Festucae ovali differt, sed Cypero bipartito magis differt, the
new species is related to Festuca ovalis, however, it is more different from
Cyperus bipartitus. Superlative:
Species nova Rubo laciniato maxime differt, the new species is most different
from Rubus laciniatus. Differt,
'it differs' (Latin third person singular
indicative of the irregular second declension verb differo, distuli, dilatum,
differre, 2) is related in meaning to other words such as: differunt,
'they are different' (third person plural of differo). recedens,-entis
'separating' (present active participle of recedo, -cessi, -cessum, 3., to go
back, draw back,
recede, retreat, retire, to depart, to separate from), recedit, 'it
separates' (third person active
indicative singular of recedo) recedunt
'they separate' (third person active indicative plural of recedo) dignoscendus,-a,-um (gerundive of disnosco, -novi, 3., to
recognise as different, to distinguish) discrepans
'disagreeing' (present participle of discrepo, -pavi, 1., to disagree, be
different, be unlike' distat 'it
is distant' (present indicative active
third person singular of disto, 1. 'to be apart, separate, distant; to
differ, be distinct') distinguendus,-a,-um, 'to be distinguished' (the gerundive of
distinguo, -stinxi, -stinctum, 3., to separate, divide, distinguish), distinguitur
'it is distinguished' (present indicative passive third person singular of
distinguo) distinguntur
'they are distinguished' (present indicative passive third person plural of
distinguo) distinctus,-a,-um
'distinct' (an adjective related to the verb distinguo), diversus,-a,-um
'different, opposed' (past participle (passive??) of diverto, -verti, 3. to
turn away, to diverge from, to differ). removendus,-a,-um
'to be removed or taken away' (gerundive of removeo, -movi, -motum, 2., to remove,
put away, take away) Verbs of
more vehemence that an author may wish to use include: abhorret
'it recedes from' (present indicative active third person singular of
abhorreo, 3., to shrink back from, to be opposed to) distrahit,
'it is estranged' (present indicative active third person singular of
distraho,-traxi,-tractum, 3. 'to pull apart, tear asunder, tear in pieces; to
estrange' This last verb has been used by Bentham and Hooker to refer to
large, unwieldy genera stuffed with species that should be synonymized or
segregated into other existing genera or new genera established to
accommodate them: the genus should be 'torn to pieces": genus
distrahendum. The
following are suitable MODIFIERS (indeclinable adverbs that may be used with the verb forms noted above): aegre
(adv.): scarcely, hardly, with difficulty statim
(adv.) 'immediately, at once' dignoscenda, immediately to be distinguished praecipue
(adv.) 'principally, chiefly' praesertim
(adv.): 'especially' sine
dubio, phrase, without doubt, indisputably; nullo dubio, phrase, without any
doubt. multo
(adv.): by much, much praeterea
(adv.) moreover, besides. bene
(adv.): quite, well praeclare
(adv.): very clearly, very well EXAMPLES
IN THE FIVE DECLENSIONS (Note the epithets
are fictitious hence the absence of authority names, which are usually
present in the diagnostic Latin text). Authority names, usually abbreviated
and never italicized, as is the convention with Latin words, are not
declinable: they are not Latin nor, when routinely associated with a species
name, do they have any grammatical or syntactic function in a Latin prose
sentence. 0 (=
undeclined). Muscari comosum (n) note
non-Greek and non-Latin generic names such as Alhagi, Dipcadi, Kali, etc. are
not declined: in the dative case they are spelled the same as in the
nominative. Such generic names are neuter. Although the generic name may not
be declined, the epithet (unless it also is from an alien language) is
declined. Ab Muscari comoso differt, it differs from Muscari comosum. I. Genista
petiolata (f) Ab Genista petiolata distinguenda, it is to be distinguished
from Genista petiolata. I. Alsine
carinata (f) Ab Alsine carinata recedit, it separates from Alsine carinata. II. Cytisus
magnificus (m) A Cytiso magnifico differt, it differs from Cytisus magnificus. II.
Spartium versatile (n) Ab Spartio versatili removendum, [new Spartium species to be
removed from Spartium versatile. NOTE: The noun that 'removendum' modifies here is understood,
that is, it is assumed and not written out. In the context presented here,
that noun would be the genus Spartium (the new species would be Spartium +
epithet). The form of removendum is written with an ending that matches a
neuter noun in the nominative singular. Were the genus feminine or masculine,
the form would be removenda or removendus respectively. II.
Halimodendron bracteolatum (n) Ab Halimodendro bracteolato maxime distinctum, most distinct
from Halimodendron bracteolatum. III. Ulex
noveboracensis (f) Ab Ulice noveboracensi sine dubio removenda, from Ulex
noveboracensis without doubt to be removed.
III.
Ornithopus subtubulosus (m) Ab Ornithopode subtubuloso statim recedens, immediately
separating from Ornithopus subtubulosus. III.
Leucostoma filiforme (n) Ab Leucostomate filiformi bene distinctum, quite distinct from
Leucostoma filiforme. [I know of no genus formulated in the fourth
or fifth declension, so have given an example with fructus (IV) and facies
(V):] IV. Semen
ab fructu Solani esculenti praecipue discrepans, the seed from the fruit of
Solanum esculentum (in genitive singular) is chiefly different V. Folia
ab facie Didmodontis rigiduli distinguntur, leaves from the appearance of
Didymodon rigidulus (in genitive singular) are distinguished. VARIATION The things
(nouns and modifiers of nouns) by which something else is different are in
the ablative case (capital letters). I.
Biserrula subaequans (f) A Biserrula subaequanti HABITU SUFFRUTESCENTE differt, it
differs from Biserrula subaequans by its suffrutescent habit. I.
Aeschynomene protrudens (f) Ab Aeschynomene protrudenti OVARIO SESSILI statim distinguenda,
it is immediately to be distinguished from to Aeschynomene protrudens by the
sessile ovary. II.
Astragalus panduriformis (m) Ab Astragalo panduriformi FOLIIS COMPLANATIS recedens,
separating from Astragalus panduriformis by its complanate leaves II.
Eremosparton vexillatum (n) Ab Eremosparto vexillato BRACTEIS LONGIS bene dignoscendum, well
distinguished from Eremosparton vexillatum by its long bracts. III.
Hippocrepis mediana (f) Ab Hippocrepide mediana LEGUMINE SCARIOSO discrepans, different
from Hippocrepis mediana by the scarious legume. [Note the preposition retains its 'b': 'ab' here because the H
in Greek words represents only a breathing sound - the actual first letter is
the 'i' the succeeds it ('ab' occurs before a vowel).] III.
Fissidens ventricosus (m) Ab Fissidente ventricoso cellulis inflatis basalibus
distinguitur, distinguished from Fissidens ventricosus by the inflated basal
cells III.
Physostigma undulatum (n) Ab Physostigmate undulato petallis rubris multo diversum, much
different from Physostigma by the red petals. NEW FAMILY Since all
families end in -ae (old style) or -aceae (new style), these are plural
adjectives treated as nouns. The dative plural always ends in -is for all
families: 1. Familia
nova Leguminosis fructibus leguminaceis distincta, sed Connaraceis atque
Moringeis caulibus brevioribus magis diversa, new family distinct from the
Leguminosae by its leguminaceous fruits, but it is more different from the
Connaraceae and also the Moringeae by reason of the shorter stems. NEW GENUS 0. Muscari, Muscari (n) Hoc genus ab Muscari bene differt, this genus (neuter sing.)
well differs from Muscari (indeclinable). I. Moringa,-ae (f) Hoc genus ab Moringa removendum, this genus is to be removed
from Moringa. I. Poecilanthe,-es (f) Hoc genus ab Poecilanthe praecipue diversum, this genus is
chiefly different from Poecilanthe. I. Glycine,-es (f.), Galactia,-ae (f.) Genus a Glycine differt imprimis inflorescentia pauci-foliata, a
Galactia apice brevi, ab utroque habitu, the genus differs from Glycine
primarily by the few-leaved inflorescence, from Galactia by the short apex,
from both by the habit. II.
Drepanocarpus,-i (m) Genus novum a Drepanocarpo praesertim distinguendum, the new
genus is especially to be distinguished from Drepanocarpus. II.
Centrolobium,-i (n) A Centrolobio corolla bilabiata nullo dubio discrepans, without
doubt different from Centrolobium by the bilabiate corolla. III.
Eleocharis,-itis (f) Ab Eleocharite maxime recedit, from Eleocharis it greatly
separates. III.
Nymphoides,-is (f) A Nymphoide foliis submersis recedens, receding from Nymphoides
in its submerged leaves. III.
Actinomyces,-etis (m) Hoc genus ab Actinomycete distinguitur, this genus is
distinguished from the Actinomyces. III. Pachyphragma,-atis
(n) A Pachyphragmate differt, it differs from Pachyphragma. NEW
SUBGENUS (n) 1.
Subgenus Vignea. (f.) A subgenere Vignea distinctum, it is distinct from Subgenus
Vignea. II.
Subgenus Eubatus (m) A subgenere Eubato dignoscendum, to be distinguished from
Subgenus Eubatus. III.
Subgenus Carex A subgenere Carice distinguitur, distinguished from Subgenus
Carex. NEW
SECTION (f) 1. Dioicae Sectio nova a Dioicis praeclare discrepans, new section clearly
different from the Dioicae. II.
Sylvatici Sectio nova a Sylvaticis recedit, new section separates from the
Sylvatici. III.
Ovales Sectio nova ab Ovalibus dignoscenda, new section to be
distinguished from the Ovales. III.
Tholiformes Sectio nova a Tholiformibus maxime distinguitur, new section is
mostly distinguished from the Tholiformes. III.
Canadenses Sectio nova a Canadensibus diversa, new section different from
the the Canadenses. Note:
Again, when the subject of the clause or sentence is not stated (i.e. the
noun to which the verb form differt, distinguendus etc. refer), the number
and gender of the noun modified is often the gender of the new taxon. In the
case of new species, it is the number and gender of the genus of which the
new species is a member: Rosa
multiflora, sp. nov. Ab Rubo laciniato distinguenda, to be distinguished from Rubus
laciniatus. Paspalum comosum, sp. nov. A Tritico digitali differt, different from Triticum digitale Note that in
a basic diagnosis the idea that a taxon is similar to another is often
stated, as well as similarity to another taxon; adjectives and other
modifiers of similarity usually are not associated with a preposition and
take their objects in the dative case. GenistAE petiolatAE similis, sed ab Genista lanceolata
differt,SIMILAR TO Genista petiolata but it differs from Genista lanceolata. The
adjective 'similis', it is similar, and other words expressing similarity is
associated with no preposition but take their objects in the dative case. In
these sentences, clauses and phrases, the taxon name is in the dative case,
not the ablative which it would be with the preposition ab (a) and verb forms
expressing difference. QUIZ The
following are some of the English sentences used above for those who might
wish to translate them into Latin. The equivalent Latin (i.e. the answers)
may be sought in the text above. It differs
from Muscari comosum. Different
from Triticum digitale It differs
from Cytisus magnificus. What is
the Ablative Case ending for second declension singular nouns? What is
the neuter singular form of the comparative of differt? What is
the singular form in the Ablative Case of the participle protrudens? From Ulex noveboracensis
without doubt to be removed. Most
distinct from Halimodendron bracteolatum. New
section mostly distinguished from the Tholiformes. More
different from the Connaraceae and also the Moringeae. It differs
from Biserrula subaequans in its suffrutescent habit. In the Latin sentence: New species to be
removed from Spartio versatili, what
noun does 'to be removed from' modify? Keyword: botanical latin |
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