The Origin of G. S. hominis, cardinis, ordinis (G. S. of -N Stem -ōnis vs. -inis)

Authors

  • Evgeniy G. Filimonov Saint Petersburg State University, 7–9, Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg, 199034, Russian Federation

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21638/11701/spbu20.2017.107

Abstract

The paper deals with an oddity in Latin morphology: the fact that a number of nouns (margō, ōrdō, cardō, homō and nēmō), in spite of being masculine, have, contrary to the general tendency, the G. S. in -inis instead of -ōnis. Some of the nouns (margō, ōrdō, cardō), unlike the other masculine nouns, retained their original G. S. form in -inis (which traces back to Old Latin *-ones) presumably due to analogy with the large group of feminine nouns in -dō, -gō because they have the same consonant at the end of stem. The G. S. of another exception, homō, is explained by analogy with the neuter nouns of the type nomen, nominis. The author also argues that the majority of G. S.-ōnis of feminina abstracta in -iō (type nātiō, -ōnis) can be explained phonologically without referring to their gender. Refs 8.

Keywords:

historical grammar of Latin, Latin -n stem nouns

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References

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Published

2017-09-20

How to Cite

Filimonov, E. (2017). The Origin of G. S. hominis, cardinis, ordinis (G. S. of -N Stem -ōnis vs. -inis). Philologia Classica, 12(1), 54–58. https://doi.org/10.21638/11701/spbu20.2017.107

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 1 (2017)

Section

Orbis Romanus

License

Articles of "Philologia Classica" are open access distributed under the terms of the License Agreement with Saint Petersburg State University, which permits to the authors unrestricted distribution and self-archiving free of charge.

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