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Why do octopus have three plurals?
Is Octopi a plural?
Why does octopus have a Latin ending?
Where did Octopus come from?
Learn the history and usage of the three plurals for octopus, a word of Latin origin that can also be pluralized with English or Greek endings. Find out which one is the most common and preferred in different contexts and sources.
Mar 18, 2022 · Both octopuses and octopi are acceptable plurals for octopus, but octopuses is simpler and more common. Learn the origin, usage, and examples of these terms, and why octopodes is not widely used.
- Why Are There Different Endings For The Plural of Octopus?
- The Meaning of Octopi
- The Meaning of Octopodes
- The Meaning of Octopuses
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These different endings are some examples of how English takes pluralsfrom different languages. The word “octopus” is a Latinized form of the Greek word októpus, which translates to “eight foot.” But the word’s etymological history reveals why there’s often confusion around how the pluralized form should be spelled, and what we’re supposed to say w...
Let’s start with octopi. Many people don’t like octopi, and you will rarely see it in edited works, but it does occasionally appear. Octopi, which derives from Latin, is the oldest of the three plurals. “The -i ending comes from the belief that words of Latin origin should have Latin endings in English (while octopus may ultimately come from Greek ...
That brings us to the next ending, octopodes, which follows the Greek formation for plurals. This is the least-used ending, even though it may fit the word’s Greek origins best. “Octopodesstems from the belief that because octopus is originally Greek, it should have a Greek ending,” says Merriam-Webster.
However, the final option, octopuses, is the preferred plural when speaking and writing in English. Merriam-Webster notes that this plural emerged later in the nineteenth century, and has the attached –esending to follow the English formation of plurals. There you have it: The most commonly accepted plural usage for octopusis octopuses. Correct:The...
Learn why octopuses is the preferred plural of octopus in English, and how it derives from Greek and Latin origins. Find out the meanings and usage of octopi and octopodes, and see examples of octopuses in sentences.
Aug 7, 2010 · Learn the correct plural of octopus from experts and sources, such as Merriam-Webster, Oxford, and Wikipedia. Find out the history, etymology, and usage of octopi, octopodes, and octopuses.
- I would go with octopuses . That is part of the Wikipedia "Plural form of words ending in -us" article: Currently: octopuses is the most commo...
- As other answers have already pointed out, the correct English plural is octopuses . Some clarification is needed in the answers, though, since ma...
- Octopuses and octopodes are both correct; the former is appropriate modern English, the latter is most appropriate if you're intentionally tryin...
- The NOAD has the following note about the plural of octopus: USAGE The standard English plural of octopus is octopuses . However, the word octo...
- Plural forms of Octopus is: octopuses /ˈɒktəpʊsɪz/ , octopi /ˈɒktəpaɪ/ , or octopodes /ɒkˈtɒpədiːz/ . See Terminology of Octopus from Wikipe...
- Octopi is based on an incorrect assumption, that octopus is of Latin derivation, so we shouldn't use it. Octopuses sounds funny, so I wouldn't...
Jun 28, 2022 · Learn the origin, rules, and variations of the plural form of octopus, a word that comes from Latin or Greek. Find out why octopuses is preferred by some style guides, and why octopi is a hypercorrection.
- Alvin Park
- Staff Writer
However, the correct plural of octopus is octopuses in keeping with the proper Greek pluralization of the word. Even though octopi is recognized and accepted, octopuses is the correct and more widely used spelling – especially in formal writing and speech.
Feb 1, 2022 · Octopi is the oldest plural form of octopus, coming from the belief that Latin origins should have Latin endings. However, octopus is not a simple Latin word, but a Latinized form of the Greek word októpus. Consequently, its “correct” plural form would logically be octopodes.
