Talk:uter

Uter
Just a quick note to point out that I'm fairly confident uter is masculine in gender, although it declines like a third declension neuter noun. See the following:


 * http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059%3Aentry%3Duter1
 * http://www.latin-dictionary.net/definition/38222/uter-utris


 * Are you sure it declines like a neuter noun? I can find lots of citations for "utres", but no more than one for "utria". Mr. Granger (talk) 16:51, 19 November 2013 (UTC)


 * I think you're right. According to this online Latin Dictionary "neutr. collat. form of plur. utria, Liv. And. ap. Non. p. 231, 31; gen. plur. utrium, Sall. J. 91, 1)". All the abbreviations make it hard to understand, but I think it means "[alternative] neutral collateral form of plural utria", i.e. the word is normally third declension masculine, with an unusual neuter variation also existing. Should there be a note of this on the page?


 * A further note: I have rather amusingly discovered a reference to the utres/utria confusion in the work of Arnobius (an early Christian writer during the 300s). The full Latin text is available, but there's also a translation. To quote: "Does not one of you make the plural of uter, utria? another utres?" So there you go - we wrestle with an ancient problem!


 * Huh. And Arnobius even lists a bunch of words that have this strange phenomenon. I'm going to add that quote as a citation, and put a usage note about utria. Mr. Granger (talk) 21:25, 19 November 2013 (UTC)
 * Done. Feel free to change what I've added if you think it could be presented better. Mr. Granger (talk) 21:45, 19 November 2013 (UTC)
 * That's great - thanks! Darth Newdar (talk) 11:31, 21 November 2013 (UTC)