Re: MR: Latin pigs

[Stephanie Malone Thorson <smt2@st-andrews.ac.uk>]

Poster: Stephanie Malone Thorson <smt2@st-andrews.ac.uk>

On Sun, 6 Oct 1996 HsDarkRose@aol.com wrote:
> >In a word, no.  The Latin word for goose is anser, which is a masculine 
> >noun (those silly Romans) and thus rather hard to make fit with the 
> >feminine noun mater.  (Gyrth could probably do it, but he's 
> >exceptional).  "Mater Alba" would mean "Mother White" or some such thing, 
> >and would be a shade meaningless.  Corun decided also that Mater Goose 
> >would give the _illiterati_ a clue as to the meaning of the rest.
> 
>   My apologies for continuing this discussion, but I have a question:
> 
> Being a first year student of the Medievalists most important language, I
> find that there may be an inconsistency in the above response.  Is not anser,
> or goose, a masculine word?  it has the characteristic -er ending of all
> masculine words.  Or is this one of those wierd words that is an exception to
> the rule (I think the proper term is idiosyncrasy).

Indeed, anser is a masculine noun, as I think I said in my original 
note.  :)  However, if you meant to ask about _mater_ instead, which like 
anser, has an -er ending, the answer is that it is a feminine noun of the 
third declension (mater, matris).

--Alianora
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Stephanie M. Thorson			*  SCA: Lady Alianora Munro
University of St Andrews		*  
St Andrews, Scotland			*  Clan White Wing
email smt2@st-andrews.ac.uk		*  Tarkhan, Khanate Red Lion
*****************************************************************************

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