Is this sentence correct?

[Quis ut Deus]

I was reading this in an article on Nuntii Latini, "De flumine Gange purgando."

The sentence is:

Ganges, flumen Indiae nobilissimum, venenis industrialibus male infectus est."

If "flumen" is neuter, wouldn't it be "infectum est?"

[Quis ut Deus]

Or, if rivers are masculine, could they have used "fluvius" instead of "flumen?"

I guess my question is, does the word in apposition with the subject have to match in gender?

[adrianus]

The name Ganges -is, the river in India, is masculine in Latin.
Nomen Gangis, fluvii Indiae, latinè masculini generis est.

I guess my question is, does the word in apposition with the subject have to match in gender?

Not at all // Minimè.

[Quis ut Deus]

Ok, that clears it up!

Vale, Adriane!

[Imber Ranae]

I was reading this in an article on Nuntii Latini, "De flumine Gange purgando."

The sentence is:

Ganges, flumen Indiae nobilissimum, venenis industrialibus male infectus est."

If "flumen" is neuter, wouldn't it be "infectum est?"

It agrees with Ganges, which is masculine like most names of rivers.

Or, if rivers are masculine, could they have used "fluvius" instead of "flumen?"

Yes, and likewise amnis, but both those words are much less common than flumen in classical prose.

I guess my question is, does the word in apposition with the subject have to match in gender?

No. It often will when possible, as with e.g. victrices Athenae "victorious Athens" and currus victor "the victory chariot". But there's no reason to go out of the way to make the word for "river" match gender with each river's name.

[adrianus]

Here's another one. // Ecce aliud problema.

Nutkin is a squirrel and he's male (in imagined real life!) but Nutkin = Little Nut = Nucula in Latin (as I believe) which is feminine as a common noun. Is "he" now "she" in Latin for agreement purposes of adjectives and pronouns with his name as a proper noun? Or do we call him Nuculus (an invented name) or even "Nucula Bonus" (Nutkin, the Good (male squirrel))?

Nucula est sciurus et masculini generis (in vitâ verâ ut imaginata!) at nomen proprium anglicè Nutkin latinè nucula vertitur (nisi fallor), quod nomen commune feminini generis est. Estne nunc feminini generis in quo attinet ad concordiam adjectivorum pronominumque cum nomine proprio ei? Vel vocamusne eum Nunculum (nomen proprium fictum) vel Nuculam Bonum quidem?

[Imber Ranae]

Here's another one. // Ecce aliud problema.

Nutkin is a squirrel and he's male (in imagined real life!) but Nutkin = Little Nut = Nucula in Latin (as I believe) which is feminine as a common noun. Is "he" now "she" in Latin for agreement purposes of adjectives and pronouns with his name as a proper noun? Or do we call him Nuculus (an invented name) or even "Nucula Bonus" (Nutkin, the Good (male squirrel))?

Nucula est sciurus et masculini generis (in vitâ verâ ut imaginata!) at nomen proprium anglicè Nutkin latinè nucula vertitur (nisi fallor), quod nomen commune feminini generis est. Estne nunc feminini generis in quo attinet ad concordiam adjectivorum pronominumque cum nomine proprio ei? Vel vocamusne eum Nunculum (nomen proprium fictum) vel Nuculam Bonum quidem?

Going by the example of Scaevola "Little Lefty", I'd say to keep with Nucula but have any adjective agree with the natural gender of whichever Nutkin you happen to be talking about (Nucula bonus in this case).

[adrianus]

Scaevola is masculine. Scaevola and nucula are both first declension. What's the relevance to the problem, Imber Ranae? I don't get it.

Scaevola nomen masculini generis est. Et scaevola et nucula primae declinationis sunt. Quomodo, Imber Ranae, id ad rem pertinet? Id non intellego.

[Imber Ranae]

Unless I'm mistaken, the origin of the name Scaevola is scaevola manus (similar to dextra often standing for dextra manus), meaning it was originally a feminine adjective. It only got its masculine designation when it became the nickname of a man, and then eventually the cognomen of his descendants. So Nucula could work on the same basis, no?

ETA: Vide footnote in § 42 of Allen & Greenough.

[adrianus]

Maybe this is a better way of asking the question: in Latin can we freely convert common nouns into proper nouns and, if so, can gender become epicene?
Fortassè quaestio ità meliùs ponatur: licetne vertere libenter latinè nomina communia in propria? Quinimmò si licet, potestne genus epicoenum fieri?

That's a neat way of thinking about it, Imber Ranae. You reckon you can, on the basis of that example.
Nec quicquam magis elegans tuum responsum, Imber Ranae. Fieri potest, ut putas, secundum exemplum datum.

[Imber Ranae]

Apparently Nucula is already a Roman name.

Is this merely a felicitous coincidence, Adrianus, or did you know all along?

[adrianus]

A felicitous coincidence. And an embarrassment, that I didn't see it in L&S!
Concursus felix est. Simul impedimentum, me id apud L&S non animadvertisse!