THE PRONUNCIATION OF LATIN
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—B, appears to have escaped the notice of your correspon. dent, Mr. H. G. Warren, that Lusius is not a misspelling of Lucius, but a different name. Lucius is a praenomen, i.e., the personal name of an individual, whereas Lusius is a gentile name, i.e., the name common to all the members of a clan. Lucius Lusius Geta was Praetorian Prefect, and afterwards Prefect of Egypt, in the reign of the Emperor Claudius. Lucius was his praenomen, Lusius his nomen, and Gets his cognomen ; but if " c " were pronounced " s " the praenomen and the nomen would have sounded alike. In the name Lusius Maximus, Lusius is the nomen and Maximus the cognomen, the praenomen having apparently been ornitted.—I am, Sir, 13 Argyle Street, Inverness. JOILN GAVIN TAIT,
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