Disputatio:Homo Denisovensis

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De nominibus[fontem recensere]

The implication of the italicization of Homo denisovaensis is that we have here an accepted zoological name for a species. I hadn't realised that that's the case and it doesn't seem to be reflected across the Wikipedias; that's why I described it as "nomen informale" and didn't italicize it. However, it is Latin -- certainly not French, which is the context I happened to quote it from -- so I don't think that "nomen quasi Latinum" gives the right impression.

The alternative "Homo denisovensis" (which I hadn't encountered) might well be preferable -- good find, anyway -- but, if one of the two is an accepted zoological name, that's surely the one we ought to choose as pagename. Andrew Dalby (disputatio) 08:38, 14 Iulii 2019 (UTC)[reply]

It's italicized in the source, which does, however surround it with so-called scare quotes, so maybe it's not "official" yet, whatever that might mean; one gets the impression that zoologists are more casual about this than botanists, who (according to Stearn) make nothing "official" until it has a published Latin description. Nevertheless, as you suggest, maybe the term should be treated gingerly, with some sort of typographic signal. ¶ The adjective denisovaensis appears to be either quasi Latin or bad Latin (take your pick), as the suffix ensis regularly elides the vowel a, resulting in a long-ago advertised problem with Latin adjectives for Polynesian words, like Samoensis from Samoa and Tongensis from Tonga : Latin seems to assume that the elided a is a grammatical suffix (which can be dispensed with), whereas in Polynesian words, a final a is often, as in Samoa and Tonga, an integral part of a root. ¶ Traupman says the Latin term for 'informal' in the sense of 'unofficial' is privatus and otherwise suggests familiaris and facilis. Cassell's says to render the concept by a phrase and suggests haud sollemni more. IacobusAmor (disputatio) 12:34, 14 Iulii 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks for your reply. Yes, I agree, "Denisovensis" is much more acceptable. So let's move to that, and capitalize it (as we do with place-name adjectives which are not part of scientific names) but not italicize it until or unless it is accepted as a scientific name. OK? Andrew Dalby (disputatio) 16:32, 14 Iulii 2019 (UTC)[reply]
We have used "informalis" in this sense previously, I believe, and it is the word used in several modern languages, but I have to agree it shouldn't really mean this in Latin! I replaced it with a phrase: alternatively I think "familiaris", among your suggested alternatives, would work well. Feel free to insert this if you think it suits. Andrew Dalby (disputatio) 16:43, 14 Iulii 2019 (UTC)[reply]