Python syntax in Lisp and Scheme

[dewatf]

On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 18:28:36 +1300, "Greg Ewing (using news.cis.dfn.de)"
<g2h5dqi002 at sneakemail.com> wrote:

>Hans Nowak wrote:
>
>> Hmm, if I recall correctly, in Latin the plural of 'virus' is 'virus'.
>
>Actually, the last discussion of this that I saw (can't remember where)
>came to the conclusion that the word 'virus' didn't *have* a plural
>in Latin at all, because its original meaning didn't refer to something
>countable.

'virus' (slime, poison, venom) is a 2nd declension neuter noun and
technically does have a plural 'viri'. However such nouns were usually
only used in the nominative and accusative singular in latin. You don't
normally want to start a sentence with 'venoms'.  As you said 'virus'
didn't refer to something you usually count, and also in latin 'viri' is
the nominative for 'men' which you do want to use a lot. 

The latin plural of census is census (with a long u, 4th declension). 

So in English use viruses. 

             dewatf.