A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Ostrya,-ae (s.f.I) (Betulaceae)/Corylaceae), Hop Hornbeam; “the Greek name for a tree with very hard wood” (Fernald 1950) [> L. ostrya,-ae (s.f.I) and ostrys,-yos (s.f.III) = Gk. ostrua (ostrya), ostrus (ostrys), a tree with hard wood, perhaps the common hornbeam” (Lewis & Short); > Gk. ostrua (or ostruE) [i.e. ostrya (or ostrYe) and also ostrus,-yos (s.f.III) (ostrys,-yos): hop hornbeam, Ostrya carpinifolia; also ostruis,-idos (s.f.III) (ostryis,-idos (s.f.III)” (Liddell & Scott)].

Ostrys,-os (s.f.III): Ostrya carpinifolia.


    singular    plural                      singular         plural
Nom. ostrys    ostryes                 -ys   -s      -yes   -es
Gen. ostryos   ostryum                -yos  -is     -yum   -um
Dat. ostryi    ostryibus                 -yi   -i      -yibus -ibus
Acc. ostryn    ostryas                  -yn   –n      -yas   -as
Abl. ostrye    ostryibus                -ye   -e      -yibus -ibus

(after Wiktionary: “third-declension noun (Greek-type, normal variant).”

Other possible forms of Greek y-stems include:

–ym in the acc. sg.; -yis in the gen. sg.

- Ostrys,-yos (s.f.III) Gk. Ostrys, Hop hornbeam, [Ostrya carpinifolia] gignit (Graecia)... arborem ostryn, quam et ostr(y)am vocat, solitariam circa saxa aquosa (Pliny in GLARE); [Ostrya carpinifolia] Greece brings forth the ostryn tree, which is called also ostr(y)am, solitary around moist stones.

- [Ostrya] “Ostrys, vel Ostrya dicitur a Graeca, & primigenia voce [Gk. osrus [sic] [osrys), vel [Gk. osrua [sic [osrya], apud Theophrastum occurrente (Michelli), [The genus is called] Ostrys or Ostrya from a Greek and original word osrys [sic], or osrya [sic], occurring in the works of Theophrastus.

NOTE: Michelli accidently omitted the ‘t’ from the Gk. word.