Name Game: Podi Puss Plural
- Thread starter Leels
- Start date
Why does the banner say "Octopi" in the first frame and "Occupi" on the second one? Am I missing something?
Umm... actually...
Octopi and Octopuses are both valid.
It just depends on which you prefer
or maybe the context (not sure what context would rule out one or the other).
Trust me, I'm an English major... and an aspiring novelist/poet/videogame writer.
Octopi and Octopuses are both valid.
It just depends on which you prefer
or maybe the context (not sure what context would rule out one or the other).
Trust me, I'm an English major... and an aspiring novelist/poet/videogame writer.
Is it 2nd declension or 3rd declension? If it's 3rd, then you're right and it should be "octopuses". But -i is also the Latin plural ending for the 2nd declension, and given that -us is the usual masculine 2nd declension ending, "octopi" would make more sense.
But even then, Wikipedia says that it's from Greek "octopous" (which would get Latinized as "octopus"), which is "octo+pous" and "pous" has the irregular stem "pod-" which would make "octopodes" the correct plural. It also makes the guess that, if the word were truly Latin, you would have "octopes/octopedes" since "pes" is the Latin word for foot.
Also, anyone trying to claim that history/etymology has anything to do with the prescriptive "correctness" of modern language, go look up the etymology of the word "nice [http://etymonline.com/?term=nice]."
(second-year linguistics specialist, *****
)
EDIT: ***** not being directed at the author or anyone in particular, just added for effect 'cause I'm proud...
But even then, Wikipedia says that it's from Greek "octopous" (which would get Latinized as "octopus"), which is "octo+pous" and "pous" has the irregular stem "pod-" which would make "octopodes" the correct plural. It also makes the guess that, if the word were truly Latin, you would have "octopes/octopedes" since "pes" is the Latin word for foot.
Also, anyone trying to claim that history/etymology has anything to do with the prescriptive "correctness" of modern language, go look up the etymology of the word "nice [http://etymonline.com/?term=nice]."
(second-year linguistics specialist, *****
)EDIT: ***** not being directed at the author or anyone in particular, just added for effect 'cause I'm proud...
Correct that the plural of Octopus is not Octopi, but you got it the wrong way round; Octopus is actually a word of Greek origin, not Latin.Leels said:
Octopus is from the Greek words Octo, meaning eight, and Pous, meaning foot; the plural of Pous is Podes, hence the plural of Octopus is Octopodes.
And yes, I am doing Latin and Greek at university.
It is Greek. -i is a Latin plural ending, or sometimes a Latinised Greek ending (from -oi).
"Octopodes" is the "correct" plural, but since it is now an English word the English -es plural is more appropriate.
But when someone says "octopi" we all know what they mean.
"Octopodes" is the "correct" plural, but since it is now an English word the English -es plural is more appropriate.
But when someone says "octopi" we all know what they mean.
I'm just surprised Podi hasn't started tearing into Eliza with his beak, honestly. An octopus is an octopus, after all.
Low-content post for the win!
Low-content post for the win!
I am Greek. In modern Greek we call it Htapodi (plural: htapodia) with a very strong "h".
Just thought I should get it out there.
But yeah, Octopus is a Greek word, indeed (too lazy to explain how it became Htapodi from Octopus, but the similarities are there).
Just thought I should get it out there.
But yeah, Octopus is a Greek word, indeed (too lazy to explain how it became Htapodi from Octopus, but the similarities are there).
Hehe, comic was funny even though it's not the first time I've heard this (though the source of the learning was all the same)
Anyway, you just publicly corrected the entire internet. Do you realize what you've just done?
Anyway, you just publicly corrected the entire internet. Do you realize what you've just done?
