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old hand
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OP
old hand
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There is conjecture that....
or
There are conjecture that....
I've always used the former but heard the latter used on radio this morning. Wondering now if the 'are' refers to plurality of conjecture???
stales
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I would have said that "conjecture" as a noun is singular.
To use it as a plural would be a singular use indeed.
If it's to be a plural, what is proposed for its singular form? (Something like "operum" being the singular of "opera"?)
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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To use it as a plural would be a singular use indeed.  I think y'all oughta start worrying about me--I actually understood that! ;-) stales [blwoing kiss e], conjecture are sounds VERY strange to my ears. But then so does family are and team are. P'raps conjecture are is a Brit-speak thing?
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I have a conjecture. The etymology of "conjecture" is from Latin "conjicare" = tp throw together.
Since you would need two things to throw together, "conjecture" has to be plural.
Do I hear applause, or razzberries? (I can't hear either)
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Carpal Tunnel
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A singular raspberry, Dr. Bill! You can mix whiskey and beer, and you have a boilermaker. Or join a husband and wife in holy matrimony, and you have a couple. I'm glad to know the origin, though--thank you.
Oh no--I just typo'ed another coinage, though this one may not be new: matrimoney.
This morning I was writing to a friend about how beautiful it was to wake up and find snow had fallen, and my original typage read, "...every leaf and tiniest branch, limned with snot."
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Carpal Tunnel
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That's what comes of sleeping with the window open when you have a cold.
Bingley
Bingley
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Carpal Tunnel
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In reply to:
Since you would need two things to throw together, "conjecture" has to be plural.
More on plural forms:
You would need at least two people to have a conversation (or two voices of some description), but conversation is singular.
I would use conjecture ordinarily with a singular verb unless it had somewhere been established in previous text that the conjectures had been reached independently of each other and that the 'conjecture' represented independent views. But this case would have had to have been clearly established in the preceding text. Even then, I don't like the sound of conjecture followed by a plural verb. However, I could train my ear to eventually accept that sound, if necessary.
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Carpal Tunnel
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my conjecture (a conclusion reached by surmise or guesswork) is that what you heard was nothing more than a misspeak.
a. F. conjecture, or its original L. conjectra, a throwing or casting together, a conclusion derived from comparison of facts, an inference, conclusion, guess, etc., f. conject- ppl. stem of conjicre, conicre to throw together
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