Re: Manos, the Hands of Fate

["Thomas de Wilde" <jedimr_thomas@hotmail.com>]

plural of manus is indeed manus

Thomas
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jonathan R. Wagner" <jonathan.r.wagner@mail.utexas.edu>
To: <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Sent: Friday, October 03, 2003 8:22 PM
Subject: Manos, the Hands of Fate


> A particularly amusing bit of anatomical nomenclature related to the
> Maniraptora/ Manuraptora issue (I had to tie it to dinosaurs somehow):
>
> I was flipping through Gaffney's full redescription of Proganochelys, and
a
> figure label caught my eye... it showed the pectoral autopodia of several
> turtles, and was labelled "Maniac of turtles..." as if maniac were the
> plural of manus. Now, my Latin is rusty (Mei latina robigatus est), but I
> seem to recall that the fourth declension nominative plural is -us (long
u),
> which would make the correct term "manus." I know WE have had this
> discussion on the List before, and Gaffney is a well-educated, observant
> fellow unlikely to have accidentally misused the language of science. I
must
> assume that this is a well-hidden joke that make it past review. I had a
> good chuckle...
>
> Wagner
>
>
>
>