Haruspex is pronounced huh-RUSS-pecks. The awkward part is the plural — haruspices — which is huh-RUSS-pih-seez, not “haruspexes”. Listen below.
| Phonetic (IPA) | /həˈrʌspɛks/ |
|---|---|
| Respelling | huh-RUSS-pecks |
| Syllables | ha · rus · pex (3) |
The plural trap
Because haruspex is a Latin word, its plural follows Latin: haruspices. Saying “haruspexes” is not a hanging offence, but it will mark you out among people who care about this sort of thing.
What it means
A haruspex is the practitioner who performs haruspicy — see the full profile in what is a haruspex? Related tricky words: extispicy, augury, ornithomancy and, of course, haruspicy itself.
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Equipment & References
The Divine Liver — EllisonThe standard contemporary reference
Veterinary Anatomy — Dyce et alHepatic and splenic morphology
De Divinatione — CiceroFoundational text, ebook edition
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