Prithee English texts, and the difference between the two terms has been debated by scholars. Scholars such as Roger Brown and Albert Gilman have suggested that "prithee" was an ingroup indicator. Other scholars suggest that it is simply the more deferential form. The relationship between the two is complicated by the phrase "beseech you", which was used in the same time period and was clearly the form used most deferentially. Although the closest Modern English equivalent of "prithee" is "please", the two terms presume different attitudes within the addressee. While "please" accompanies a request addressing itself to the positive desire of
Yellow-bellied sea snake word for "tunny fish", which presumably refers to the habitat or what Daudin thought they ate. The specific name "platurus" is a combination of the Ancient Greek words "platys" "flat" and "oura" "tail", referring to the flattened tail. The word "Pelamis" is a feminine noun and means young or small tunny fish. In 1872, Stoliczka introduced the name "Pelamis platurus" (still the most used scientific name by scientists today), but used the incorrect ending "-us" instead of "-a" which a feminine noun requires. A few recent examples exist of scientists' beginning to use the grammatically correct name "Pelamis platura", e.g.,