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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   Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 3,409 Max Quordlepleen Carpal Tunnel Max Quordlepleen   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 3,409 #5615 - 08/24/00 09:43 AM Re: Virii - why not?   Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 2,204 RhubarbCommando Pooh-Bah RhubarbCommando   Pooh-Bah 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   Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 3,409 Max Quordlepleen Carpal Tunnel Max Quordlepleen   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 3,409 #5617 - 08/24/00 11:22 AM Re: Virii - why not?   Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 2,204 RhubarbCommando Pooh-Bah RhubarbCommando   Pooh-Bah 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. #5618 - 08/24/00 12:06 PM Re: Virii - why not?   Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 3,467 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 #5619 - 08/24/00 03:06 PM Re: Virii - why not?   Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,538 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   Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 3,409 Max Quordlepleen Carpal Tunnel Max Quordlepleen   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 3,409 #5621 - 08/24/00 10:33 PM Re: Virii - why not?   Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 140 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   Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 3,409 Max Quordlepleen Carpal Tunnel Max Quordlepleen   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 3,409 #5623 - 08/25/00 08:11 AM Re: Virii - why not?   Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 444 Bridget addict Bridget   addict 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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