From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Wed, 1 Aug 2001 06:10:18 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Wed, 1 Aug 2001 06:10:09 -0400 Received: from smtpmail1.iol.cz ([194.228.2.35]:61131 "EHLO smtpmail1.iol.cz") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id ; Wed, 1 Aug 2001 06:09:50 -0400 Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 12:03:27 +0200 From: Vojtech Pavlik To: Riley Williams Cc: Guest section DW , Linux Kernel Subject: Re: [OT] Virii (sic) Message-ID: <20010801120327.A1550@suse.cz> In-Reply-To: <20010801015116.B11060@win.tue.nl> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.2.5i In-Reply-To: ; from rhw@MemAlpha.CX on Wed, Aug 01, 2001 at 07:58:51AM +0100 Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org On Wed, Aug 01, 2001 at 07:58:51AM +0100, Riley Williams wrote: > Hi. > > >> on average, there's a timelapse of 53 hours from a virii first > > > For some reason, seeing "virii" is somewhat painful to my eye. I > > know, people invent fantasy plurals, like Vaxen and > > Unices/Unixen, but somehow this is worse, yes indeed, it is > > badder. > > > [The singular is virus. The plural in English is viruses. In > > Latin there is no plural - it is even debatable whether virus is > > a noun in Latin - in any case it is indeclinable.] > > During my medical training, it was made abundantly clear that the > plural of virus is virii. Since the whole idea of a computer virus > comes from the medical world, I'd have to assume the terminology came > with it. > > I'll stick with what my training taught me. > > Best wishes from Riley. > > PS: Plural of bacteria is bacterium, from the same source. Uh? I'd say it's the other way around at least ... -- Vojtech Pavlik SuSE Labs