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Similis,‑e: 'Similar To' + Dative Case |
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Similis,‑e:
'Similar To' + Dative Case P. M. Eckel The following exercise relates
to an adjective, similis,‑e, 'similar to', frequently used in the
diagnosis of new taxa. It seeks to impart a degree of confidence in the use
of similis in the context of the diagnosis, or diagnostic part of a
description of a new taxon. Similis,‑e is one of a
group of adjectives that take their object in the dative case (rather than
the nearly ubiquitous ablative). Some readers also may not be
sufficiently familiar with Botanical Latin to know that all ranks, including
the species name (genus + epithet) are always declined in a Latin prose
sentence. Many believe that it is not declined, but this is not true.
Consequently, in a Latin sentence, if the new taxon is 'similar to' another
taxon, the other, similar taxon is in the dative case. Summary of Dative Case
Endings: (Declension = roman numerals) singular plural I. Dat.
‑ae ‑is usu. feminine nouns I. Dat.
‑o ‑is both masc. & neuter nouns III. Dat.
‑i ‑ibus in all genders IV. Dat.
‑ui ‑ibus (‑ubus in lacus and tribus) usually
masculine nouns V. Dat.
‑ei ‑iebus usually feminine nouns Some adjectives and
participles in the dative (as epithets): Dative singular plural Adj. A longo (m) longae (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: The comparative of similis,‑e
is similior (m & f) similius (n). Dative singular: similiori (all genders) Dative plural:
similioribus (all genders) The superlative of similis,‑e
is simillimus, simillima, simillimum. Dative sg. simillimo (m & n) simillimae (f) Dative pl. simillimis (all genders) The comparative and
superlative degrees also take the dative case: Comparative: Species nova Festucae ovali affinis,
sed Cypero bipartito similior, the new species is related to Festuca ovalis,
however, it is more similar to Cyperus bipartitus. Superlative: Species nova Rubo laciniato
simillima, the new species is most similar to Rubus laciniatus. Other adjectives taking the
dative case are usually translated into English with the preposition 'to' or
'for'. The most notable example, after similis,‑e, is affinis,‑e,
'related to'. None of the following adjectives or participles uses a
preposition in the Latin forms presented here. In fact, there is no
preposition associated with the Dative case in the Latin language. affinis,‑e (adj.B):
related to. familiaris,‑e (adj.B):
familiar to, friendly to. hostilis,‑e (adj.B): hostile to, unfriendly
to. similis,‑e (adj.B)
'similar to; dissimilis,‑e (adj.B) 'not similar to' consimilis,‑e
(adj.B), 'very like'. equal to, like: aequalis,‑e
(adj.B), aequus,‑a,‑um (adj.A), parilis,‑e (adj.B); par
(gen.sg. paris). not equal to, unlike:
inaequalis,‑e (adj.B), inaequus,‑a,‑um (adj.A), imparilis,‑e
(adj.B); impar (gen.sg. imparis). next to, nearest to: proximus,‑a,‑um
(adj.A with dative). congruens,‑entis
(part.B) [>congruo, ui, 3.]: to be suited to, fitted to, correspond to. consentaneus,‑a,‑um
(adj.A): agreeable to, suitable to. conveniens,‑entis
(part.A) [> L. convenio, ‑veni,‑ventum, 4. agreeing with, harmonious
with, conforming to. Note that some of these
adjectives and participles also take other constructions, such as the use of
the preposition 'ad' (meaning 'to') + the accusative, some may take ablative
cases or the preposition 'cum' + ablative, but the examples here refer to
constructions with the dative case AND NO PREPOSITION. Note that the Latin
preposition 'ad', meaning generally 'to', when it is used, always takes the
accusative case and no other. EXAMPLES NAMES BELONGING TO
THE FIVE DECLENSIONS (note the epithets are here 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 that 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. Muscari comoso similis, similar to Muscari
comosum. I. Genista petiolata (f) Genistae petiolatae congruens, corresponding to
Genista petiolata. I. Alsine carinata (f) Alsinae carinatae arcte affinis, closely related
to Alsine carinata. II. Cytisus magnificus (m) Cytiso magnifico similis, similar to Cytisus
magnificus. II. Spartium versatile (n) Spartio versatili affine, related to Spartium
versatile. NOTE: The noun that 'affine' 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 similis that modifies a neuter noun in the nominative singular
would be simile (n), not similis (m & f). II. Halimodendron bracteolatum
(n) Halimodendro bracteolato consimile, very like
Halimodendron bracteolatum. NOTE: consimile, with ending ‑e, reflects a
new species in the neuter genus name Halimodendron. III. Ulex noveboracensis (f) Ulici noveboracensi proxima, nearest to Ulex
noveboracensis. III. Ornithopus subtubulosus
(m) Ornithopodi subtubuloso conveniens, conforming to
Ornithopus subtubulosus. III. Leucostoma filiforme (n) Leucostomati filiformi affinis, related to
Leucostoma filiforme. [I know of no genus formulated
in the fourth or fifth declension, so have given examples with fructus (IV)
and facies (V):] IV. Semen fructui Solani
esculenti similis, the seed is similar to the fruit of Solanum esculentum (in
genitive singular). V. Folia faciei Didmodontis
rigiduli convenientia, leaves conforming to the appearance of Didymodon
rigidulus (in genitive singular). VARIATION: The things (nouns and modifiers
of nouns) by which something else is similar are in the ablative case
(capital letters). I. Biserrula subaequans (f) Biserrulae subaequanti HABITU SUFFRUTESCENTE
congruens, corresponding to Biserrula subaequans in its suffrutescent habit. I. Aeschynomene protrudens (f)
Aeschynomenae protrudente OVARIO SESSILI arcte
affinis, closely related to Aeschynomene protrudens by the sessile ovary. II. Astragalus panduriformis
(m) Astragalo panduriformi FOLIIS COMPLANATIS
consentaneus, agreeable to Astragalus panduriformis in its complanate leaves.
II. Eremosparton vexillatum
(n) Eremosparto vexillato BRACTEIS LONGIS conveniens,
conforming to Eremosparton vexillatum in its long bracts. III. Hippocrepis mediana (f) Hippocrepidi medianae LEGUMINE SCARIOSO affinis,
related to Hippocrepis mediana by the scarious legume. III. Fissidens ventricosus (m)
Fissidenti ventricoso cellulis inflatis basalibus
similis, similar to Fissidens ventricosus by the inflated basal cells. III. Physostigma undulatum (n)
Physostigmati undulato petallis rubris proximum,
nearest to 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: Familia nova Leguminosis
fructibus leguminaceis similis, sed Connaraceis atque Moringeis similior, new
family similar to the Leguminosae by its leguminaceous fruits, but more
similar to the Connaraceae and also the Moringeae. NEW GENUS: 0 (= undeclined). Muscari,
Muscari (n) Hoc genus Muscari simile, this genus (neuter
sing.) is similar to Muscari (indeclinable). I. Moringa,‑ae (f) Hoc genus Moringae simile, this genus is similar
to Moringa. I. Poecilanthe,‑es (f) Hoc genus Poecilanthae affine, this genus is
related to Poecilanthe. II. Drepanocarpus,‑i (m)
Genus novum Drepanocarpo optime congruens, the
new genus best agrees with Drepanocarpus. II. Centrolobium,‑i (n) Centrolobio corolla bilabiata arcte affinis,
closely related to Centrolobium by the bilabiate corolla. III. Eleocharis,‑itis
(f) Eleochariti maxime consentanea, to Eleocharis
mostly agreeing. III. Nymphoides,‑is (f) Nymphoidi foliis submersis similis, similar to
Nymphoides in its submerged leaves. III. Actinomyces,‑etis
(m) Hoc genus Actinomyceti affine, this genus is
related to the Actinomyces. III. Pachyphragma,‑atis
(n) Pachyphragmati similis, similar to Pachyphragma. NEW SUBGENUS (subgenus,-eris,
a neuter word) 1. Subgenus Vignea (f) Subgeneri Vigneae simile, similar to subgenus
Vignea. II. Subgenus Eubatus (m) Subgeneri Eubato affine, related to subgenus Eubatus. III. Subgenus Carex (f) Subgeneri Carici affine, related to subgenus
Carex. NEW SECTION (section,-onis, a
feminine word): 1. Dioicae Sectio nova Dioicis similis, new section similar
to the Dioicae. II. Sylvatici Sectio nova Sylvaticis similis, new section
similar to the Sylvatici. III. Ovales Sectio nova Ovalibus similis, new section similar
to the Ovales. III. Tholiformes Sectio nova Tholiformibus maxime conveniens, new
section mostly agreeing with the Tholiformes. III. Canadenses Sectio nova Canadensibus arcte affinis, new
section closely related to the Canadenses. NOTE: when the subject of the
clause or sentence is not stated (i.e. the noun to which the modifier, similis,
affinis, 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. Rubo laciniato affinis, related to Rubus
laciniatus. Paspalum comosum, sp. nov. Tritico digitali affine, related to Triticum
digitale In a basic diagnosis, the
difference between taxa is often stated, as well as similarity. Genistae petiolatae congruens, SED AB Genista
lanceolata DIFFERT, corresponding to Genista petiolata BUT it differs from
Genista lanceolata. The verb 'differt', it
differs, and other words expressing difference is associated with the
preposition 'ab' (reduced to 'a' generally before most consonants) whose
object always takes the ablative case. In these sentences, clauses and
phrases, the taxon name is in the ablative case, not the dative as it would
be with similis and similar adjectives and participles. QUIZ: The following quiz includes
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. Similar to Muscari comosum. Related to Triticum digitale Similar to Cytisus magnificus. What is the Dative Case ending
for second declension singular nouns? What is the neuter singular form of the
comparative of similis? What is the singular form in
the Dative Case of the participle protrudens? Nearest to Ulex
noveboracensis. Very like Halimodendron
bracteolatum. New section mostly agreeing
with the Tholiformes. More similar to the
Connaraceae and also the Moringeae. Corresponding to Biserrula
subaequans in its suffrutescent habit. In the Latin sentence: Spartio
versatili affine, related to Spartium versatile, what noun does affine refer
to (modify)? Keyword: botanical latin. |
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