Re: YAEPT: uu/ii (< Quick Latin pronunciation question)

caeruleancentaur wrote:
>
> >"Mark J. Reed" <markjreed@...> wrote:
> >
> >Yup, virus was a collective noun in Latin.  IIRC,
> > it's also 4th decl, not 2nd...,
>
> According to the Cassells New Latin Dictionary,
> it is "virus, -i" which would make it 2nd declension.

Correct, but what's unusual is that it's neuter. Second
declension nouns in |-us, -i| are normally masculine,
while those in |-um, -i| (pl. -a) are neuter.

--Ph. D.