Talk:metropolis
Latest comment: 6 years ago by 120.17.219.74 in topic English plural : "metropoles"
I am curious as to why metropoleis is noted as pertaining to Ancient Greece. Certainly it should be noted as uncommon, but I think the quotes provided do evidence usage in a non-Greek sense. Atelaes 02:28, 9 February 2007 (UTC)
- Yes, in the second sense here. Stephen G. Brown, even when directed by me unto this evidence, reverted me nonetheless. Judging the speed from which he did so, I doubt he even looked at the evidence. I shall revert him now. † Raifʻhār Doremítzwr 02:35, 9 February 2007 (UTC)
- Things have changed in the time I wrote the above message. He has changed the tag unto rarely. I would not say that it is that rare. † Raifʻhār Doremítzwr 02:38, 9 February 2007 (UTC)
- Thanks Stephen. Atelaes 02:57, 9 February 2007 (UTC)
- Indeed, but I think it is rare. I don't think any more than a very small handful of English speakers are aware of what an inflected language is, much less that Greek is inflected, very much less how to decline a proparoxytonal third declension noun with front closed vowel contraction. I've never heard it in speech before in my life. While you've admirably proven that it is in use, I think it unlikely that you're going to convince anyone that it's in common use. Atelaes 04:23, 9 February 2007 (UTC)
- That is a mostly fair view; however, it is not necessary to know that arcane declension pattern (if asked, I would say that I do not), only to follow the rationale that as polis forms its plural as poleis, then so should all words formed with the -polis suffix (the cited author at metropolises used that very rationale for using metropoleis). Though metropoleis is uncommmon, I do not think that it is so uncommon as to be considered rare. A comparison with metropoli using Google Book Search is in order, I believe; however, as searching for metropoli leads to results clouded by hyphenated metropoli-tan hits, the task is a time-consuming one. Which means I am the only one who is going to do it. † Raifʻhār Doremítzwr 12:12, 9 February 2007 (UTC)
Gender of Latin "metropolis"
[edit]It says there that "metropolis" is masculine. Is that correct? In my native language, Spanish, it is feminine, so would it not also be feminine in Latin? AndyTheProfessor (talk) 21:43, 13 October 2015 (UTC)
- Well, genders can change (f.ex. 2nd declension feminines like dialectus and paragraphus often became masculine in Romance languages and in German and sometimes also in Medieval or New Latin), but:
- Dictionaries state that metropolis is feminine - and I didn't see any exception like some dictionaries stating it's feminine while some others state it's masculine or neuter
- The Greek origin of metropolis is feminine
- Some descendants are feminine (as in French, Spanish, German)
- Some related terms are feminine like -polis as well as mater (mother; mother-city) and urbs (city) - but caput (head; capital [city]) is neuter
- So masculine gender likely was just an error. -84.161.18.82 21:40, 30 May 2017 (UTC)
English plural : "metropoles"
[edit]For the English plural "metropoles" is also used, no? —DIV (120.17.219.74 10:09, 7 July 2017 (UTC))