P a g e 63
BAC TERIOLOGLCAL N O M E N C L A T U R E
AND T A X O N O M Y
TRANSLITERATION O F GREEK WORDS FOR USE IN
NOMENCLATURE IN MICROBIOLOGY
P r o p o s a l for Emendation of the International Bacteriological Code of Nomenclature.
Editorial Board
A discussion of s o m e of the p r o b l e m s of t r a n s l i t e r a t i o n of
Greek to Latin i n the formation of names of b a c t e r i a l taxonomic groups was p r e s e n t e d in this BULLETIN (1). The
s o u r c e s and types of confusion i n nomenclature a r i s i n g f r o m
various methods of t r a n s l i t e r a t i o n were pointed out. A tentative outline of a code f o r t r a n s l i t e r a t i o n was published and
c r i t i c i s m s invited. It was suggested that the statement,when
finally formulated by the Judicial Commission and approved
by the International Committee f o r Bacteriological Nomenclature,be included as a n appendix to the International Bacteriological Code of Nomenclature and that t h e r e be i n s e r t e d
i n the Code itself a recommendation advising author o b s e r v ant e.
All suggestions coming t o the E d i t o r i a l Board have been
carefully considered. E v e r y effort has been made c o r r e c t ly to i n t e r p r e t c l a s s i c Latin usage, and to conform to outlines as proposed by Linnaeus ( 2 ) and as published i n a b b r e viated f o r m i n t r e a t i s e s on botanical and zoological nomenclature. Two d r a f t proposals a r e made f o r emendation of
the Code. When put in acceptable f o r m by the Judicial Commission, the proposals will be p r e s e n t e d f o r consideration
and action by the International Committee on Bacteriological
Nomenclature a t i t s approaching meetings at the t i m e of the
VI International Congress for Microbiology.
DRAFT PROPOSALS: It is proposed:1. That Recommendation 27-a of the International B a c t e r i o logical Code of Nomenclature be deleted. This Recommendation now reads: "When a new name is derived f r o m a
Greek word containing the s p i r i t u s a s p e r (rough breathing),
this should be t r a n s c r i b e d a s the l e t t e r h.It
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INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN
2.
That the following Recommendation be substituted f o r
R 27-a:-
"When a new name o r epithet f o r u s e i n bacteriological nomenclature is derived f r o m a Greek word, the transcription
to Latin f o r m should conform to c l a s s i c usage. T o assist
authors of such new n a m e s and epithets i n interpreting good
usage, Appendix A to this Code may be used as a guide. If
a l a t e r author c o r r e c t s the spelling of a name o r epithet inc o r r e c t l y t r a n s l i t e r a t e d f r o m the Greek, the c o r r e c t l y spelled word may be r e g a r d e d a s a legitimate orthographic v a r iant of the name o r epithet."
3 . That the following statement outlining the approved t r a n s literation f r o m Greek to Latin f o r m be considered by the
Judicial Commission, and that, when approved,shall be r e c ommended to the International Committee for inclusion as
Appendix A to the International Bacteriological Code of Nomenclature.
PROPOSED APPENDIX A.
Authors desiring to u s e Greek words i n the formation of
epithets and names to be introduced into bacteriological ' n o menclature a r e advised to t r a n s l i t e r a t e such words into
Latin f o r m in conformity with recognized usage as follows:
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P a g e 65
BAG T E R I O L O G I G A L N O M E N C L A T U R E
AND TAXONOMY
Greek
A, 5
( alpha ) Latin
&
xGvoc - a c t i s, actinis
The Greek a is the f i r s t l e t t e r of two
Ac tinomyce s
&XTLS
diphthongs.
a
i
ae. aTpa , d p u ~ o c- haema,
- haematis.
R a r e l y and lee: c o r r e c t l y t r a n s l i t e r a t e d
as
as in acpai p a - s p h a i r a , whence
.
Sphaira, a protozoan generic name.
Occasionally
dqes not constitute a
diphthong, as i n & 1 c m w e - a i s t o r and
i s then t r a n s l i t e r a t e d
Not infrequently a1 has been i n c o r r e c t l y
t r a n s l i t e r a t e d as e as i n Hemophilus.
u u - au auew - auxo
6 - dr ai - ha and hae respectively, as i n
-&hc , d r h d r h a l s , halis
T
u -haema
haematoides
ai
g.
--
Greek
paXT6pL OV
2, &.
( beta
Bacterium
( g a m m a ) Latin
y&ha, yrixaxzoc - gala, galactis
When 1 p r e c e d e s 1,x, 5, x, it is t r a n s -
l i t e r a t e d a s n.
&yyrT ov-- angium
y‘x - nc & x6cpahog
encephalus
Y 4 - “x a c p p
sphinx
y X - E h a v y x v ~- synchysis
~ ~
yy -
--+
- -
( delta ) Latin
6 i n h o G~ -diplus
-
Greek
t
Lvzepov
Galac toc oc cu s
g,i
Diploc oc c u s
E, 2
( epilson ) Latin E,g
- enterum
5 is the f i r s t l e t t e r
The G r e e k
G,g
A r c hangium
e nc e phal oi de s
sphinx
synchyseus
I
Greek A , 6
halophilus
Haemophilus
) LatinB,b
- bacterium
Greek F,
auxinophilu s
Enterococcus
of two G r e e k
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INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN
diphthongs.
Brfov - thium
Mbre >r aI r e l y
- 5 as
E U - eu EU(; - eus
-_.
g h x o ~- helcus
-& - he
---
E L - i,
-
helc ogene s
- -<
zeta
Greek Z ,
<GO~-
T hi oplo c a
zeae
Eubac t e r i u m
) Latin
zoum
-
z,E
2 oogloc e a
- cerinus
Greek nouns ending in 2 a r e feminine.
K~PLVOC
When t r a n s l i t e r a t e d they w e r e placed
i n the f i r s t declension with ending
a o r e as xal7q chaete o r chaeta
c q - he ;KL oc - helius
-
-- Greek Q,
2
.)
( theta
cerinus
Spirochaeta
he lianthi
) Latin Th, 9
E r y s i ple lothr i x
Greek
lx06s -
?ic.noc -
x o p v v ~-
(
iota
) LatinL,i
ichthyosmius
hippopotami
ichthys
hippus
Greek
/
L,
5,
( kappa ) Latin
JI,
Corynebacterium
coryne
-
The Greek 2 is s o m e t i m e s i n c o r r e c t l y
transJiterated a s k, as
j3axzTpi o v - bakterium.
Greekn,
h
( lambda ) Latin &,L
Leuconostoc
p l x p o/s -
Greek
micrus
M,
& (
mu
) Latin
K,m,
Micrococcus
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P a g e 67
BACTERIOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE
AND TAXONOMY
1 (
Greekx,
nu
) LatinN,n_
nec r o p h o r u s
G r e e k s , E,
xi
I
2;~.
) L a t i n ,X, 5
- myxa
-
Myxococcus
Greek
2, 2
( omicron) L a t i n (3, o_
3ya L v a - ozaena
T h e G r e e k 2 is the f i r s t l e t t e r of two diph-
ozaenae
thongs
0 1 -=01;6
,qp,a ou n
ous
-
oedema
pus
In the G r e e k , final-ov is usually the ending
of a n e u t e r noun o r adjective. Such
w o r d s w e r e p l a c e d i n the second
L a t i n declension, with the ending
bn, as i n
u s u a l l y - u m , occasionally -)
a y y E L ov - angium
nrpsixd; - persicon
-o< is a m a s c u l i n e nominative ending
Final f o r nouns a n d adjectives. Such w o r d s
w e r e placed i n the second L a t i n declension, with the ending usually 2,o c casionally 2,
as i n
cp:Xos philus
F i n a l - 0 s is a l s o found in G r e e k genitives.
S u c G o r d s w e r e p l a c e d i n the t h i r d
L a t i n declension with the ending usually
-is, occasionally 2a s i n
kpua‘L 7i E A a To c - e ry s i p e lati s
%j, 6 6 -~ h y s , hyos
6 - ho- 4o p p o ~- h o r m u s
A
-
L
-
_
Greek
”,
2 (
pi
_
A r changium
Lycope r s i c on
h y d r ophilus
e r y s ipe l a t i s
hvos
Ho r m is c i u m
) Latin_P,g
7t?boc/”O<planus
In composition, TC
- followed by a s p i r i t u s
a s p e r b e c o m e s ‘p - ph.
-
oe d e m a t i e n s
Rhizopus
Myc oplana
I
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INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN
p (
Greek:,
n
rho
) Latin It,:
C n ~ i p a - spira
Spir ochaeta
< Initial always has the s p i r i t u s a s p e r and
is t r a n s l i t e r a t e d r h , as i n
( 1
P
0 6 0 v -rhodum
rhodochrous
In composition, when the second component
begins with
and the preceding component ends i n a vowel, the 1 is doubled,
and the second r e t a i n s the s p i r i t u s
asDer.
m o i a - diarrhoea
d i a r rho e ae
e
i,
h
Greek
dcoaipi
6-c
( s i g m a ) Latin 2,s
xdc-sphaericus
Greek
1
z,
sphaericus
T
, 2 ( tau
) Latin T',t
-
tetra
te tragenus
In composition, 2 followed by a vowel having
a s p i r i t u s a s p e r becomes
- th.
TsTpa-
Greek
2,
( u p s i l o n ) Latin Y_,y
p d x q ~ ,p d x r p o c - m y c e s , mycetis
The Greek is the second l e t t e r of t h r e e
Greek,diphthongs.
au - au aueq - a w e
X
e u b u-~
- --ou
-u
no&
- pus
3%y 3 6 p o - -
hydro
Greek
yayo/r
-
XapLu'Ca XXapu(GoG
--
auxinophilus
Eubac te r i a l e s
Rhiz opu s
Hydrogenomon-
%!
(
phi
) Latin P h , p h
phagus
Phagus
Greek
L
p, 3
S c hiz om yc e te s
L,
(
chi
) Latin C_h,&
- chlamys, chlamydis
Chlamydobacteriales
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BACTERIOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE
AND TAXONOMY
G r e e k 'y,
y ~ u 6 7 ; 5-
pseudes
Greek
wov I f
oum
-
(
psi
) Latin P s , p s
-
Pseudomonas
In, 2
( o m e g a ) L a t i n C3,g
Oijspora
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