Subject: Foetus-fetus-feti....

FUNNY!

"Jack replies to Rob:
"feti"?  Holy Mackerel.  What an ugly word.  Fetuses gets my vote."

Helen replies to both:
Spelling lessons for you two boys, over in Old Blighty many of us still
use the diphthong in all its majestic glory!  If I could understand how
to put the 'oe' together on this keyboard I would show you how it should
look. Foetus(es) is of Latin origin, probably coming from fecundus
(fecund), femina(woman). first recorded in English in the 14th Century,
so my Concise Oxford. Dictionary of Word Origins tells me."

and Louise adds:
foetus is the right way to write the word since it IS a latin word used
also in French as such spelled, with the o and e together. It is not
derived from but actually THE latin word we use. This is why, Jack, it
is really "feti" such as in dominus-domini.... Remembrance from my
mandatory latin lessons waywayway back and my actual Larousse French
dictionary!!!
Fun to play with words from different languages!
However, I will be no mail for a couple of weeks so I won't see the end
of this... I am the lucky one who is going to Norway tomorrow morning to
give a conference on breastfeeding research !!! Will be coming back to
Lactnet afterwards.
Louise Dumas, Gatineau, Quebec