BlackBerry - Wordsmith.org

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I have a BlackBerry and buy another - I now have two .......?

overdrafts?

Blackberrys/Walkmans

> Blackberrys

Okay, 'BlackBerrys' it is (note capital;-) ... everyone happy?

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> Blackberrys

Okay, 'BlackBerrys' it is (note capital;-) ... everyone happy?

Es freut mich that you're posting again, yes. But I think I prefer Mav's "overdrafts."

Why not "--Berries"?

> I think I prefer Mav's "overdrafts."

Please - take them! :]

> Why not "--Berries"?

Ah ha, a dissenter! I knew there was one out there. IP, you put forth 'BlackBerrys', so you explanatory services are required. Just why do all product names take '-s' as their plural, regardless of whether the name is a normal word or not? .... this better be good :-)

I think whats-his-name talks about it in his first book, What's-It-called. That is Chomsky's student who started publishing ten or so years ago, it isn't Pinter is it? I mean, he's a playwright, isn't he? So it must be something else. That guy, with reference to Walkmans. I think its simpler though: Blackberry is a tradename, and Blackberries ain't. And, truth told, I would say "Walkmen," if I didn't have his inadvertent prescription in my ear wigged.

>I think whats-his-name talks about it in his first book, What's-It-called.

Pinker, The Language Instinct?

BlackBerry, the brand name for the communication device is a proper noun. Proper nouns, when plural, take an S even if they finish in Y.

Blackberry, when used to name the fruit, is a common noun. Nouns that finish in Y finish in IES when in the plural form, unless the Y is preceeded by a vowel.

The easest way to visualize this is to imagine having two people in your family called Wendy. When you write this down, you'd write, "There are two Wendys in our family" not "two Wendies"

It only becomes confusing when companies use common nouns as brand names, turning them into proper nouns. We know the word as a common noun and want to treat it that way and the correct way of pluralizing it grates at us.

We did have two Wendy's in our family, and a blind cousin could tell them apart by their perfume. Said it was a case of Wendy scent exposure.

FWIW, googling "blackberries" does give a link to the RIM web site in the top ten.

> googling "blackberries

yeahbut it's standard marketing advice to consider common mistaken spellings when choosing your keywords. When you're advertising Pepsi for example, you'll want to include such simple errors as "Coke"...

Oooo, yer in trouble now Mister!!! Coke is never an error - t'is that brown gook Pepsi that's the error.

Ah, sugary beverages - they're a popular topic around here, huh. Read this recently:

School soft drink ban

Quote:

BlackBerry, the brand name for the communication device is a proper noun. Proper nouns, when plural, take an S even if they finish in Y.

Blackberry, when used to name the fruit, is a common noun. Nouns that finish in Y finish in IES when in the plural form, unless the Y is preceeded by a vowel.

The easest way to visualize this is to imagine having two people in your family called Wendy. When you write this down, you'd write, "There are two Wendys in our family" not "two Wendies"

It only becomes confusing when companies use common nouns as brand names, turning them into proper nouns. We know the word as a common noun and want to treat it that way and the correct way of pluralizing it grates at us.

Works for me.

> Works for me.

Yes. Good explanation thanks, BelM.

One BlackBerry.
Two BlackBerrys.
Three BlackBerrys.
Jam.

One Lego.
Two.....?

Legos

One kudos.
Two _____?

There is no plural because kudos is uncountable in English.

kudi

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kudi

Close.

kudu?

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kudu?

Getting colder.

Kudoi.

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kudi

Is the punjabi word for "girl" as it happens.

it's all Greek to me...

Quote:

Quote:

kudu?

Getting colder.

Kudoi.

Naah. It's kudzu. Say it over and over again and it kind of creeps up on you.

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Naah. It's kudzu. Say it over and over again and it kind of creeps up on you.

OK, TEd, this time you made me L*LOL.

___
*literally