Re: "Cetiformes" and Dinosauriformes

[NJPharris@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/23/01 1:58:46 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
kinman@hotmail.com writes:

> I don't see any reason to use 
>  the spelling "Cetaciformes" (which I assume is based on a plural form 
>  "cetacea" rather than the singular "cetus").  If there is a linguistic 
>  problem here, I would like to hear it (but if it is just a phylocode 
thing, 
>  I am not going to give it much weight).

The plural of "cetus" (a Greek e-stem noun originally meaning "sea monster") 
is "cete", which has been formally proposed as a name for a supposed clade 
containing mesonychians and cetaceans to the exclusion of artiodactyls.  
Thus, "Cetiformes" might be confused for an "emendation" of "Cete".

"Cetacea" is the neuter plural form of the adjective "cetaceus", 
"sea-monsterish" or "whale-like".

--Nick P.