Re: Compsognathus prima

[Stanley Friesen <sarima@ix.netcom.com>]

At 03:52 PM 3/5/97 -0600, PESELYG@APSU01.APSU.EDU wrote:
>Some time ago Tom Holtz questioned whether _Compsognathus prima_
>was correct or whether _prima_ should be _primus_.  The generic
>name is a Latinized coinage from two Greek roots, _kompsos_/
>_kompse:_/_kompson_, an adjective meaning "nice," "refined,"
>"elegant," "dainty," etc., and _gnathos_, a feminine noun meaning
>"jaw."  I don't know if there is any general rule that a compound
>noun takes the gender of the final element, or if the coiner of the
>name indicated which gender this word should have,

The second described species of _C. is _C corallestris_, which has a
masculine/neuter adjective.  The type species involves a noun in
apposition, so it is indeterminate as to gender.

This seems to at least suggest a masculine gender for _C_.

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