Discussion Groups / English Usage / July 2009

Although the binomial nomenclature uses names taken from Latin, they
do not pluralize as Latin nouns.  Publishers and learned societies
undoubtedly have specific rules; what I have seen most commonly[1] in
English is the zero plural.  The names of higher taxa are generally
already plural (Hominidae, Chordata, Plantes, Archaebacteria, and so
on).  For genera, there is the thorny question of whether the intended
meaning is multiple species (in which case, formal usage requires
"/Genus/ species" or "/Genus/ spp.") or multiple individuals (where
the species is unknown, unknowable, or irrelevant).  Bacteriologists
often consider only the genus, and even genera aren't as distinct as
they are in other kingdoms thanks to the prevalence of lateral gene
transfer.

-GAWollman

[1] In writing intended for laypeople, as I am not a systematist
myself.

Unless you're a Latin scholar, I don't understand why you need to know
the plural of the name of the wise species to which I proudly belong.
It's not like "homo novus", whose plural is "homines novi", which
marks the first generation of senators, hence the need for plural.

have read the other three responses to this thread, but still do not see
an answer. To rephrase the question: are we all a group of:
- Homo sapii?
- Homo sapienses?
- Homo sapein?

Harry
SwE

As everybody has explained, this level of naming doesn't have a plural
form. But if you take the two Latin words simply as a Latin expression
meaning "wise people", then the plural would indeed be /homines
sapientes/.

Sad to say, the "sapien" error is matched by the much commoner
misunderstanding which makes "specie" the singular of "species": see
bulb catalogues advertising "specie tulips".

--
Mike.

Actually the biological name is "Homo sapiens sapiens".