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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Page 1 of 5 1 2 3 4 5 #5614 08/24/00 08:25 AM 08/24/00 08:25 AM Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 3,409 M Max Quordlepleen OP Carpal Tunnel Max Quordlepleen   OP Carpal Tunnel M Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 3,409 Re: Virii - why not? #5615 08/24/00 09:43 AM 08/24/00 09:43 AM Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 2,204 R RhubarbCommando Pooh-Bah RhubarbCommando   Pooh-Bah R Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 2,204 Virii ?? why two "i"s ? (apart from hackneyed jokes about being able to see better) Surely the plural of "virus" should be "viri": it could only be virii if the singular were virius (c.f. radius/radii) It is the sort of question that bugs you, is it not? #5616 08/24/00 10:08 AM 08/24/00 10:08 AM Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 3,409 M Max Quordlepleen OP Carpal Tunnel Max Quordlepleen   OP Carpal Tunnel M Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 3,409 Re: Virii - why not? #5617 08/24/00 11:22 AM 08/24/00 11:22 AM Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 2,204 R RhubarbCommando Pooh-Bah RhubarbCommando   Pooh-Bah R Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 2,204 This is what is vulgarly referred to as "a cop out." "Beauty is truth," you say; "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," is an aphorism also well accredited. Put them together and you can deduce that truth is in the eye of the beholder. Which gives "viruses" an equal claim, I aver. Re: Virii - why not? #5618 08/24/00 12:06 PM 08/24/00 12:06 PM Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 3,467 Marion NC TEd Remington Carpal Tunnel TEd Remington   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 3,467 Marion NC The plural is viri in Latin but viruses in English. I have seen it as viri in medical journals, but not anywhere else that I recall. I suspect the reason for this apparent discrepancy is that viruses trips off the tongue better than do radiuses and hippopotamuses. The accented syllable (vir) is too close to the -i to be sonorous (at least in English). Along those lines, most dictionaries show octopuses or octopi as the plural of octopus. In my view the latter is incorrect since octopus is not from Latin, but from Greek okto (eight) plus pous (foot). TEd Re: Virii - why not? #5619 08/24/00 03:06 PM 08/24/00 03:06 PM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,538 this too shall pass tsuwm Carpal Tunnel tsuwm   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,538 this too shall pass >Along those lines, most dictionaries show octopuses or octopi as the plural of octopus. In my view the latter is incorrect since octopus is not from Latin, but from Greek okto (eight) plus pous (foot). well, maybe we should compromise with octopodes then... #5620 08/24/00 06:47 PM 08/24/00 06:47 PM Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 3,409 M Max Quordlepleen OP Carpal Tunnel Max Quordlepleen   OP Carpal Tunnel M Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 3,409 Re: Virii - why not? #5621 08/24/00 10:33 PM 08/24/00 10:33 PM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 140 Melbourne, Australia lusy member lusy   member Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 140 Melbourne, Australia well, maybe we should compromise with octopodes then... Thanks yet again, tsuwm, for setting us all straight. My beloved Chambers even agrees with you!! It gives "octpuses" as archaic, "octopi" as wrong, and "octopodes" as correct. And I have seen this form used often, can't remember specifically where or when. Rgds, lusy #5622 08/24/00 10:48 PM 08/24/00 10:48 PM Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 3,409 M Max Quordlepleen OP Carpal Tunnel Max Quordlepleen   OP Carpal Tunnel M Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 3,409 Re: Virii - why not? #5623 08/25/00 08:11 AM 08/25/00 08:11 AM Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 444 Sydney Australia B Bridget addict Bridget   addict B Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 444 Sydney Australia >, maybe we should compromise with octopodes then< Can I infer from this that now I have moved to Australia I am living in an Antipus? Shame, I always rather liked cats..... Page 1 of 5 1 2 3 4 5 Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------   Information and announcements   Q&A about words   Wordplay and fun   Words and languages in schools   Miscellany   Weekly Themes   Looking for (writers, speakers, ...) (Old) Weekly themes. 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