6 ms·

Pedantic mode here: linguistically it should be octopodes (but nobody who isn't speaking Greek would say that); by usage it should be octopuses; octopi or octop

by pacaro 10y ago

Pedantic mode here: linguistically it should be octopodes (but nobody who isn't speaking Greek would say that); by usage it should be octopuses; octopi or octopii are just wrong (it's not a second declension noun, despite the 'us' ending)

itp 10y ago
I basically agree with you, but this also reflects where you are on the prescriptivist/descriptivist split. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus#Etymology_and_pluralization https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus#Etymology_and_pluraliz... Anyway, while I wouldn't put it like you have, I agree with the bottom line -- spread the message of "octopuses"!
irrational 10y ago
According to James Bond it should be octopussies (or is it octopussys?).
ClassyJacket 10y ago
You just can't win with grammar Nazis. If they'd written octopuses, someone would be in here telling them "It's octopi".
- majewsky 10y ago
  > grammar nazis I think you mean "spelling nazis". ;)
frenchy 10y ago
Linguistically this is known as reanalysis.
logfromblammo 10y ago
Octopus has three acceptable pluralizations in English. Octopuses is correct by English rules. Octopodes is correct by strict etymological Greek-origin rules. Octopi is correct by English's pseudo-Latin cognate rules. The latter means that any singular noun ending in a consonant and "-us" can be pluralized by chopping off the "-us" and appending an "-i" or "-ii", like alumnus, hippopotamus, virus, bacillus, hummus, lotus, oculus, cactus, and platypus. This has even been abused to facetiously pluralize similar-sounding endings, like Elvis or Winklevoss. This is likely due to the many Anglophone schoolchildren subjected to Latin language lessons over the centuries who simply never cared about proper Latin grammar rules.
- jacobush 10y ago
  I don't know, could it also be because what became England was pretty romanised before the Saxon influence began in earnest?
  - pacaro 10y ago
    Well the word Octopus was invented from the whole cloth by Linnaeus, presumably inspired by applying the prefix for eight, to the Ancient Greek work for an octopus which was "polypous"
- itp 10y ago
  Except there is no single authority of the English language (as seen in other language academies). As I mentioned in another comment, you may fall into a prescriptivist or descriptivist camp, but there's no authority to which one can appeal for a single answer. Generally speaking, octopuses is preferred by most if not all well known dictionaries in modern usage, and the pseudo-Latin cognate has fallen out of favor. I don't think it's reflective of reality to argue that all three are equivalently correct.
  - squidfood 10y ago
    The style guides to most scientific journals will assert "octopuses", so you're unlikely to get "octopi" past that collective editorial authority, in any case - the others are however deemed acceptable alternates in common use.
    - mturmon 10y ago
      ... most scientific journals will assert "octopuses" ... I saw a lecture by Peter Godfrey-Smith, the author of the book in TFA, and he also comes down on the side of "octopuses".
  - logfromblammo 10y ago
    Neither the prescriptivists nor the descriptivists are correct. There is, in fact, a way to assume greater authority over the English language than the power wielded by the median speaker. The person who can inject a memorable phrase into the popular culture--whether by writing a line that is read by many, or by speaking one that is heard by many--can steer the language closer to the path they may prefer. For all our quibbling over technical correctness, if an author or scriptwriter decides to keep "octopi" alive, all they have to do is write it, with no explanation or justification necessary. Stam that in your rassoodock and let it digimmer. It could make you frumious or mimsy, but you will grok who the lords of language are.
js2 10y ago
Not quite: https://youtu.be/wFyY2mK8pxk https://youtu.be/wFyY2mK8pxk (Octopus - Merriam-Webster Ask the Editor)
StavrosK 10y ago
Nobody who's speaking Greek would say that either, as it's ancient Greek. Today, we say "octapodia", or, colloquially, "ctapodia".
deleted 10y ago
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by pacaro 10y ago

itp 10y ago

I basically agree with you, but this also reflects where you are on the prescriptivist/descriptivist split. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus#Etymology_and_pluralization https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus#Etymology_and_pluraliz... Anyway, while I wouldn't put it like you have, I agree with the bottom line -- spread the message of "octopuses"!

irrational 10y ago

According to James Bond it should be octopussies (or is it octopussys?).

ClassyJacket 10y ago

You just can't win with grammar Nazis. If they'd written octopuses, someone would be in here telling them "It's octopi".

majewsky 10y ago
> grammar nazis I think you mean "spelling nazis". ;)

frenchy 10y ago

Linguistically this is known as reanalysis.

logfromblammo 10y ago

Octopus has three acceptable pluralizations in English. Octopuses is correct by English rules. Octopodes is correct by strict etymological Greek-origin rules. Octopi is correct by English's pseudo-Latin cognate rules. The latter means that any singular noun ending in a consonant and "-us" can be pluralized by chopping off the "-us" and appending an "-i" or "-ii", like alumnus, hippopotamus, virus, bacillus, hummus, lotus, oculus, cactus, and platypus. This has even been abused to facetiously pluralize similar-sounding endings, like Elvis or Winklevoss. This is likely due to the many Anglophone schoolchildren subjected to Latin language lessons over the centuries who simply never cared about proper Latin grammar rules.

jacobush 10y ago
I don't know, could it also be because what became England was pretty romanised before the Saxon influence began in earnest?
- pacaro 10y ago
  Well the word Octopus was invented from the whole cloth by Linnaeus, presumably inspired by applying the prefix for eight, to the Ancient Greek work for an octopus which was "polypous"
itp 10y ago
Except there is no single authority of the English language (as seen in other language academies). As I mentioned in another comment, you may fall into a prescriptivist or descriptivist camp, but there's no authority to which one can appeal for a single answer. Generally speaking, octopuses is preferred by most if not all well known dictionaries in modern usage, and the pseudo-Latin cognate has fallen out of favor. I don't think it's reflective of reality to argue that all three are equivalently correct.
- squidfood 10y ago
  The style guides to most scientific journals will assert "octopuses", so you're unlikely to get "octopi" past that collective editorial authority, in any case - the others are however deemed acceptable alternates in common use.
  - mturmon 10y ago
    ... most scientific journals will assert "octopuses" ... I saw a lecture by Peter Godfrey-Smith, the author of the book in TFA, and he also comes down on the side of "octopuses".
- logfromblammo 10y ago
  Neither the prescriptivists nor the descriptivists are correct. There is, in fact, a way to assume greater authority over the English language than the power wielded by the median speaker. The person who can inject a memorable phrase into the popular culture--whether by writing a line that is read by many, or by speaking one that is heard by many--can steer the language closer to the path they may prefer. For all our quibbling over technical correctness, if an author or scriptwriter decides to keep "octopi" alive, all they have to do is write it, with no explanation or justification necessary. Stam that in your rassoodock and let it digimmer. It could make you frumious or mimsy, but you will grok who the lords of language are.

js2 10y ago

Not quite: https://youtu.be/wFyY2mK8pxk https://youtu.be/wFyY2mK8pxk (Octopus - Merriam-Webster Ask the Editor)

StavrosK 10y ago

Nobody who's speaking Greek would say that either, as it's ancient Greek. Today, we say "octapodia", or, colloquially, "ctapodia".

deleted 10y ago

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