A Reference to Strange Plurals in English

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Essorant
Member Elite

since 2002-08-10

Posts 4769
Regina, Saskatchewan; Canada

0 posted 2003-08-31 12:41 PM

I thought I'd post these to help any who may sometimes misuse or forget certain latin/greek/etc plural suffixes as I do often and try to ammend myself...feel free to add any you please!




Singular       Plural

 

abacus         abaci
addendum       addenda
aegis          aeges
alga           algae 
antenna        antennae
antithesis     antitheses 
appendix       appendices
aquarium       aquaria (or aquariums)
areola         areolae
as             asses (make sure to pronounce it right     )
auditorium     auditoria
bacterium      bacteria
basis          bases 
biga           bigae
caduceus       caducei   
candelabrum    candelabra
cherub         cherubim (or cherubs)
cicatrix       cicatrices
colloquium     colloquia
continuum      continua
cortex         cortices
cothurnus      cothurni   
criterion      criteria
cumulus        cumuli 
datum          data
dogma          dogmata
effluvium      effluvia
ephemeron      ephemera
erratum        errata
flora          florae (or floras)
focus          foci
forum          fora 
fungus         fungii
genius/genie   genii
graffito       graffiti
hetaera        hetaerae/hataerai/hataeras/hetairas
hippopotamus   hippopotami
index          indices 
jinni          jinn 
larva          larvae (or larvas)
libra          librae
magus          magi 
manus          manus
matrix         matrices
medium         media  
miasma         miasmata
millenium      millenia
mina           minae
museum         musea (or museums)
nexus          nexus (or nexuses)
nimbus         nimbi 
nodus          nodi
noumenon       noumena
nucleus        nuclei (or nucleuses)
penetralium    penetralia
phenomenon     phenomena
quadrans       quadrantes
quadriga       quadrigae
quantum        quanta
radius         radii
scrotum        scrota
seraph         seraphim (or seraphs)
spectrum       spectra
stratum        strata
symposium      symposia
terminus       termini (or terminuses)
thesis         theses 
valkyr         valkyrie
vertebra       vertebrae
virus          viruses, vira


Some other strange ones:


brother       brethren
sister        sistren
shoe          shoon
cow           kine
pig           swine
eye           eyne
verse         vers

[This message has been edited by Essorant (08-31-2003 12:50 AM).]

Local Parasite

Member Elite

since 2001-11-05

Posts 2527
Transylconia, Winnipeg

1 posted 2003-08-31 11:11 AM

Hey Ess--

if Goose is Geese, is Mongoose, Mongeese? Always wondered.

Essorant
Member Elite

since 2002-08-10

Posts 4769
Regina, Saskatchewan; Canada

2 posted 2003-08-31 04:46 PM

It is as you will for there is no "root" I know of to have to accord with in respect to the special oose and eese or even ouse and ice  So one is at large to say such things as "I saw some meese and mongeese whiles on my trip. "
Or "We toured through the city and saw very mickle hice"
Or "The people in those houses
    have hair with many louses"
Or "there was a gaggle of gooses
    and a straggle of mooses"

[This message has been edited by Essorant (08-31-2003 04:59 PM).]

Essorant
Member Elite

since 2002-08-10

Posts 4769
Regina, Saskatchewan; Canada

3 posted 2003-08-31 04:58 PM

What about the plural for Walrus.

Walra, Walri, Walrice???

Legion
Member

since 2003-07-20

Posts 54

4 posted 2003-08-31 07:38 PM

Es just add an es

Essorant
Member Elite

since 2002-08-10

Posts 4769
Regina, Saskatchewan; Canada

5 posted 2003-08-31 11:07 PM

That will work

Now for the scientific group name for walruses...

a blubber, a waddling, a bobbing, a tusking of walruses?

how about a Legion of walruses?

[This message has been edited by Essorant (09-01-2003 12:14 AM).]

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