I am a poet finalizing my manuscript for final delivery to the publisher in the next two weeks. One of my poems contains a Latin classification for a starfish (Asteroidea) followed by a Latin word (prosperus). I am having trouble confirming whether my use of the word “prosperus” is correct and would really appreciate help before the book goes to print.
The phrase is simply: “Asteroidea prosperus.” It is meant to say (and is in fact followed directly by the English words) “Lucky starfish.”
My research has suggested either “prosperus” or “prospera,” and I’m unable to figure out whether “asteroidea,” as a classification of a species, is considered plural or singular. I believe “prosperus/a” is the word I want (and as a poet, I’m sensitive to the suggestions it carries in English, as in “to prosper”), but I’m very unsure of the form.
Thank you so much to anyone who can offer the correct usage.
Well, “asteroidea” is a plural – “starfishes”. I’m not entirely sure what the singular is but I’m guessing “asteroideon”. The adjective that would go with it is “prosperum”.
I must add that if you’re trying to make it sound like a species name, though, the first part of the name should be a genus, not a class.
EDIT: My first guess had been “asteroideum”. I’m convinced now it’s probably “asteroideon” because it comes from a Greek root, and seems consistent with other Greek nouns I’ve found.
The Greek here is tricky and the singular would be “asteroides”.
This is just an adjective meaning star-like and although the plural is used for the class of starfish, it doesn’t seem like the singular is used to refer to the creature. The Greek word is “asterias” but I can’t find out if this was used in Latin or if there’s any other word.
“Asteroidea” is really a feminine singular adjective (“asteroideus -a -um”) referring to the species or class (the words for species/class are feminine in Latin—“asteroidea species/classis”). In English the adjective is used collectively, but not in Latin.
“asteroidea prospera” = “happy starfish (singular)” works if you mean “happy class of starfish”. A star fish in Latin ordinarily is “stella piscis” so “[stella] piscis classis asteroideae” (“a [star] fish of the asteroid class/species”)
_Adjectivum singulis numeri feminini generis ad nomen classis seu speciei enim adjunctum est “asteroidea” (de “asteroideus -a -um” adjectivo). Solùm anglicè numerus collectivus significatur.
Ideò per “asteroidea prospera” potest significari hoc: “classis asteroidea prospera”.
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I edited because “piscis” is masculine, not feminine. // Hoc correxi quia piscis non feminini sed masculini generis est._
Names of taxa higher than the genus are plural, e.g. for classes, mammalia, aves, reptilia.
Edit: but I can’t find out how Latin declined such Greek adjectives (ἀστεροειδής, ἀστεροειδές) so I don’t know if this an adjective “asteroides” or “asteroideus” with an adapted Latin suffix. There’s certainly no αστεροειδεος so it wouldn’t be asterodieon.
Yes, but “asteroidea” is the name of a class, and the names of taxa higher than genus are plural. The site you linked does mention any taxa higher than family, but it does state that family-group names are plural.
OK. I must be misunderstanding the naming systems. I’d better look at them more carefully. Thanks. Licet. Forsit haec systemata nomenclaturae malè intellego. Diligentiùs operam ad hanc rem dare me oportet. Gratias.
Thank you so much all for the responses! I’ve printed out and studied your suggestions and poked around some more in regards to taxonomy and starfish classifications. I do want to make this as correct as possible (as if there is such a thing, as if something might be “correct enough”), and after some poetic soul-searching, I’ve decided to go with “asteroidea prospera.”
If it’s singular, all the better; if it’s plural, it will still work in the context of the poem. Although (and thank you for reminding me of this) the word “asteroidea” does refer to a class of starfish and does not represent the starfish itself, the word (in the animal world at least if not in the Latin world) seems synonymous with “starfish.” And, it carries with it the English connotations of asteroids and stars and destiny/fate/astonomy, etc. - but this is my poetic license taking over.
“Adjective adjective” seems silly, but I think I have to live with it to get all the layering I want out of the words.
Again, thank you. I’ve very much enjoyed this small peek into your world!
