Hominids range in weight from 48 kg to 270 kg.
Males are usually larger than females. Hominids
are the largest primates, with robust bodies and
well-developed forearms. Their pollex (thumb) is
opposable. The hallux (big toe) is opposable in all
hominids except humans. All digits (toes and
fingers) have flattened nails.



Thumbs can be used for acquiring property:
Sedens Johannes parvus in angulo
Hornerus editcrustula Christanica;
Et dixit, ut pruna extrahbat
Pollice, 'Quam sum ego suavis in fans!

Johannes parvus...Hornerus

Cute, Dr. Bill. Wher'd you scrape thatn up from?

Crustula Christanica, indeed.


BTW, what's the plural of hallux? And does hallux even exist? The closest I can find is allex, meaning herring or fish sauce or pickle.

>And does hallux even exist?

huh?? OneLook comes up with 14 (count 'em, fourteen) dictionaries which list hallux, including AHD and MWC..

hal·lu·ces

14 (count 'em, fourteen) dictionaries which list hallux

Silly me. I was looking it up in Latin dictionaries.

Aha!

From the AHD:

Medieval Latin hallux, blend of Latin allus, hallus, thumb, and Latin hallex, big toe.

AHD gives the etymology of pollex as Latin, thumb, big toe.

And "hallucinations" are from getting kicked in the head.

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/3041/sixpence.html

Scroll down almost to bottom

We still use pollice and alluce.
The other names for the fingers of the hand
indice (close to the thumb) = that can point at
medio = medium
anulare - from anello, ring
mignolo ( the small one) - I suppose something related to "minus"= less