How many octopus plurals are there?
There are technically three octopus plurals: octopi, octopodes, and octopuses. The first two come from Lati n and Greek respectively, both of which are tied to the origins of the word octopus.
Is it octopus or octopodes?
Of the two, octopuses is the simpler and more commonly used. The proposed plural octopodes is based on the plural of the Ancient Greek word from which octopus ultimately derives. But it’s rarely used outside of the octopuses vs. octopi debate.
Where does the word octopus come from?
Octopuses is the next plural, which gives the word an English ending as its been adopted as an English word. Lastly, octopodes stems from the belief that because "octopus" is originally Greek, it should have a Greek ending.
Why do some dictionaries list octopi as plural?
The plural is octopuses. Why do some dictionaries also list octopi as a possibility? In Latin, some plurals end with an i. The problem is, octopus derives from Greek. The i was a mistake, but so many people adopted it that it became an acceptable alternative.
Why is plural of octopus not octopi?
While “octopi” has become popular in modern usage, it's wrong. The letter “i” as a suffix to indicate a plural noun only applies to words with Latin roots, like “cacti” for more than one cactus. But octopus is derived from Greek, so the proper pluralization in this case would be “odes” if it was ever used.
What is a group of octopuses called?
What Is a Group of Octopuses Called? A group of octopuses is called a consortium.
Which is correct octopuses or octopi?
Both octopuses and octopi are acceptable plurals for octopus. Of the two, octopuses is the simpler and more commonly used. The proposed plural octopodes is based on the plural of the Ancient Greek word from which octopus ultimately derives. But it's rarely used outside of the octopuses vs.
What is a group of humans called?
There is no specific word to describe a group of humans. When we dig up the English language, we find several words that could represent a community of humans, but none that exactly match what we are looking for.
What is a group of hippos called?
Why a group of hippos is called a bloat - BBC Travel.
What is a group of jellyfish called?
Did you know? A group of jellyfish is called a SMACK! Here are more collective nouns for ocean animals you might not know... 0:45.
What is a group of koalas called?
There's no collective noun for a group of Koalas moving around together because Koalas don't move around in groups like dolphins or some birds.
What is a group of crocodiles called?
baskA bask of crocodiles Please be respectful of copyright.
What is the plural of "octopus"?
There you have it: The most commonly accepted plural usage for octopus is octopuses.
Where does the word "octopus" come from?
The problem is, octopus derives from Greek. The i was a mistake, but so many people adopted it that it became an acceptable alternative. Many people don’t like octopi, and you will rarely see it in edited works, but it does occasionally appear. The clever octopuses snuck out of their tank at night.
What is the oldest plural of "octopi"?
Let’s start with octopi. Many people don’t like octopi, and you will rarely see it in edited works, but it does occasionally appear. Octopi, which derives from Latin, is the oldest of the three plurals. “The -i ending comes from the belief that words of Latin origin should have Latin endings in English (while octopus may ultimately come from Greek it had a stay in New Latin before arriving here),” says Merriam-Webster.
Is "octopus" plural or singular?
However, the final option, octopuses, is the preferred plural when speaking and writing in English. Merriam-Webster notes that this plural emerged later in the nineteenth century, and has the attached -es ending to follow the English formation of plurals.
Do octopus use tools?
The New York Times. Octopuses use tools; they play; they can solve problems and puzzles; and they may even engage in warfare with improvised weapons. Quartz. Sealy also said that drainage pipes combine two things octopi love, which is a cramped dark space and fish. Daily Mail.
Octopi vs octopuses vs octopodes
What has eight arms, three hearts, uses camouflage and has a very confusing plural form?
You Can Help Octopuses
Unlike other species, octopuses don’t have a hard shell or sharp spines to protect themselves, so camouflage is their best bet for avoiding hungry predators. They use this ability to hide in reefs, rocks or sand.
What is the plural of "octopus"?
The plural form of octopus is octopuses or octopi (hypercorrect) . Find more words! The arms of the octopuses were still squirming and moving and flopping in every direction. Among the damaged coral we saw free-swimming moray eels, octopuses , and several anemones with their resident clownfish.
What are some examples of octopuses?
The arms of the octopuses were still squirming and moving and flopping in every direction. Among the damaged coral we saw free-swimming moray eels, octopuses, and several anemones with their resident clownfish. With more than a 250 species, octopuses are members of an ancient group of animals called cephalopods.
What is the Correct Plural of Octopus?
The correct plural of octopus is octopuses . Although this word has ancient Latin and Greek roots, it’s an English word that follows normal English pluralization rules for words ending in “ s .” There are technically three octopus plurals: octopi, octopodes, and octopuses. The first two come from Lati n and Greek respectively, both of which are tied to the origins of the word octopus. The last option, octopuses, is the preferred pluralization in English.
How many plurals are there for octopus?
There are technically three octopus plurals: octopi, octopodes, and octopuses. The first two come from Lati n and Greek respectively, both of which are tied to the origins of the word octopus. The last option, octopuses, is the preferred pluralization in English.
What is the Name for a Group of Octopuses?
The most widely accepted name for a group of octopuses is a consortium. Other terms include tangle or clutch, but clutch is actually only proper when referring to a group of octopus eggs. It’s important to note that octopuses are usually solitary creatures that prefer to live alone. For this reason, there really isn’t an established name for a group of octopuses on the same level as a herd of cattle or murder or crows.
When did Octopi Become Octopuses?
You would not, however, be correct. In reality, the English language adopted the word octopus in the mid-1700s. Because English nouns ending in -s are switched to -es when made plural, octopus became octopuses. It wasn’t until the 1900s that grammarians looked at the Latinized Greek origins of octopus and decided the plural of octopus should be octopi instead.
What are some examples of irregular plurals?
Some examples of irregular plurals are aircraft/aircraft (instead of aircrafts) and antenna/antennae (instead of antennas). And yes, octopus is included in that group too! 📝 An irregular plural is a plural that doesn’t conform to the grammatical standard.
When did the word "octopus" become the plural?
1750s: The word octopus enters the English language. As such, the plural of octopus follows English grammar rules ( octopus; octopuses ).
Where did the word "octopus" come from?
For example, our modern English word octopus comes from ancient Greek roots that describe a creature with eight legs (ὀκτώ or okto, meaning eight + πούς or pous, meaning foot). The word was then Latinized to form octopus. As such, octopodes follows Greek pluralization rules.
The Many Plurals of Octopus
Octopus is unique among English words because it has multiple competing plural forms. The word “octopus” has had a wild ride into the English language. Originally, the word comes from ancient Greek “ὀκτώπους” (/oktṓpous/). It is a blend of the ancient Greek words for “eight” and “foot”.
The Battle for Plural Supremacy
As I said above, the battle for the plural of octopus has been raging for over 150 years. The following is a graph from Google’s ngram viewer, which shows the popularity of words in books over time.
Conclusion
This was a look at the long history of the word “octopus” and its many plural forms. I bet you didn’t think so much history could be packed away in such a common everyday word. Many legs, many plurals, a lot of history. The octopus is truly a fantastic animal.
What is the plural of octopus?
The Plural of Octopus. The plural of octopus is octopuses . Octopuses have a relatively short life expectancy, with some species living for as little as six months. Large octopuses have been known to catch and kill some species of sharks. The noun octopus has a Greek root. The Greek plural for octopus is octopodes, ...
Why Is There Confusion over the Plural of Octopus?
Confusion arises over the plural of octopus because many believe it is a Latin noun that should be pluralized with an i (just like cactus becomes cacti).
Is "octopus" a noun?
The noun octopus has a Greek root. The Greek plural for octopus is octopodes, but this plural is not used in English. The plural octopi is used by people who mistakenly believe that octopus has a Latin derivation, meaning its plural would be octopi (in the same way that fungus, cactus, and hippopotamus become fungi, cacti, and hippopotami).
Is "octopus" plural or singular?
Through common usage (even though incorrect), octopi is becoming an accepted plural for octopus. Nevertheless, the safest version to use is octopuses. ( See the difference in Google's Ngram Viewer .)
