Fungus->Fungi, Anus->Ani?

[chopininov]

Why doesn't this work?

[ramithediv]

Why doesn't this work?

https://dictionary.reference.com/browse/anus

Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural anus·es or ani /'A-(")nI/
: the posterior opening of the alimentary canal 

EDIT: I'm sure ahinton will be able to help you on this one. 

[ada]

no one says fungi, cacti, octopi or for that matter ani, unless they are one of two things: a scientist or a pretentious w*ker. And even scientists don't say octopi.

They are obsolete word forms and should be expunged from our language as archaic 

[ahinton]

https://dictionary.reference.com/browse/anus

Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural anus·es or ani /'A-(")nI/
: the posterior opening of the alimentary canal 

EDIT: I'm sure ahinton will be able to help you on this one. 

I think thast "ada" has helped us all (below) as well as can be, so no need for further anal-ysis, methinks...

Best,

Alistair

[leahcim]

no one says fungi

Then how would they say

A : "there's not mushroom in here tonight"
B : "Yeah, it's because Gus is coming"
A : "Fun gus?"
B: "Yeah, that's him. He's a fungi"

[faustsaccomplice]

for that matter:

mouse mice
house hice

dice di
mice mi
hice hi?

why does the us in fungus become i when plural,
yet alone, I is singular, and Us is plural

i've used ani on many occasions, it's a good one

also:

bus bi


i was at the chinese market and they had "pork uteri" in the meat department (that's how they spelled it, too)

speaking of chinese, is one grain of rice a ri, or a rouse?  i think it's a ri; that sounds better.

papyrus payayri
mucous muci



it's time to straighten things out in the english language

[chopininov]

it's time to straighten things out in the english language

That will never happen. English is too muddled of a language to clean up. Latin, Greek, German, French asdfklajs;fldajs

[thalberg]

no one says fungi, cacti, octopi or for that matter ani, unless they are one of two things: a scientist or a pretentious w*ker. And even scientists don't say octopi.

They are obsolete word forms and should be expunged from our language as archaic 

Just like concerti.  Who says that?  I hate that.  I say concertos, and that's how I like it.

[wotgoplunk]

I say concerti! 

I get funny looks when I do though.

Just like staccati/staccatos, pizzicati/pizzicatos.

Tenuti/tenutos?

[ada]

Just like concerti.  Who says that?  I hate that.  I say concertos, and that's how I like it.

Just like staccati/staccatos, pizzicati/pizzicatos.

Tenuti/tenutos?

But hang on, those are different. Isn't  because they are Italian words and Italian plural forms? Isn't "i" the italian plural of "o"?
 I don't know, though I should. I am sure Italian speaking forum members will know.

Personlly I like concerti, staccati and pizzicati. But then that's the Italian in me I suppose...

[ronde_des_sylphes]

I say concerti almost all of the time too..

But hang on, those are different. Isn't  because they are Italian words and Italian plural forms? Isn't "i" the italian plural of "o"?
 I don't know, though I should. I am sure Italian speaking forum members will know.

Personally I like concerti, staccati and pizzicati. But then that's the Italian in me I suppose...

Yeah.. that is effectively why fungus (can) pluralize to fungi, because it is originally a Latin word.

Incidentally, I've seen it argued that the correct plural of octopus is in fact octopodes, because octopus is originally derived from Greek, NOT Latin (compare 'Oedipus') and in Greek -us pluralizes to -odes (and -is to -ides, making the theoretical plural of clitoris clitorides, believe it or not). Of course I don't think anyone is likely to use these plural forms.

I once had an enormous (amusing, but completely pointless) argument with a girlfriend (a language teacher, incidentally  ) over plurals. It all started over stadium: stadia or stadiums and ended up comically with her shouting singulars at me and me trying to return the "theoretically correct" plural eg cherub cherubim; apparatchik apparatchiki;court-martial courts-martial; blintz blini.     

I have to say I still don't like stadiums, but what really pains me is when someone uses "datas". Data is already a plural..

[pianowolfi]

But hang on, those are different. Isn't  because they are Italian words and Italian plural forms? Isn't "i" the italian plural of "o"?
 I don't know, though I should. I am sure Italian speaking forum members will know.

Personlly I like concerti, staccati and pizzicati. But then that's the Italian in me I suppose...

ada would be adae

[ronde_des_sylphes]

ada would be adae

Hehe, but maybe ada is already the plural of adum

Btw, are you the plural of pianowolfus? 

[opus57]

No, pianowolfus is an aristocratic name in Switzerland. E.g. Count Karl von Pianowolfus or the well-known chuchichashtlian king Pianowolfus the First and Least.

Ans shouln't we form the plural of "opus" as "opi"?

[wotgoplunk]

Hippopotami?

It could be "lupi"?

Does "pus" become "pi"?

Pianistimi?

[ahinton]

Hehe, but maybe ada is already the plural of adum

So who's Eve, then? Better ask Susan, I guess. Oh, no, we can't do that - she's not here any more...

Best,

Alistair

[ada]

well I am glad my screen name is providing a source of grammatical mirth.

fyi Ada is of scottish origin and was also the name of Lord Byron's daughter (though this is not why I chose it).

while we are on plurals, how about bureaus/bureaux.... margos/margeaux 

ahintons/ahintoni (The world can never have too many ahintoni)

But pianistimi? now that is a frightening thought  One is more than enough. in fact one is one too many.

[wotgoplunk]

French roots for the bureau/bureaux.

L'eau, Les eaux.

Monsieur/Messieurs.
Madames/Mesdames.

wotgoplunki?

[counterpoint]

wotgoplunki?

wotgoplunkers

whatever that might be... 

[ada]

plurals are easy in Indonesian, you just double the singular.

hat=topi

hats=topi topi

I have also been lead to believe that when Americans say "y'all" it is singular, as is "y'alls". Plural is "all y'all"  .

Perhaps youse (Aussie plural for "you") Americans can clear us up on that 

[ahinton]

while we are on plurals, how about bureaus/bureaux.... margos/margeaux 

Oh, give me a good Margaux any day - a good vintage of Château Margaux ideally, of course, but failing that then Labégorce or some of the other stars of that area (OK, I can hear your penfolding from here, but...)

ahintons/ahintoni (The world can never have too many ahintoni)

So very sweet of you to say so, ada, believe me, but I do wonder if just the one is too many sometimes...

But pianistimi? now that is a frightening thought  One is more than enough. in fact one is one too many.

A single pianistimo
May be enough to listimo,
But some folk here might say that two's en-
ough to put you right off Susan.

Not that I'm identifying myself with any such sentiments, you understand...

Jesus will save ya
If you're not a failure
So mind your behaviour
If you're from A'stralia

Anyway, who needs Dame Edna when you can have Dame Ada?

Best,

Alistair

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Ans shouln't we form the plural of "opus" as "opi"?

The plural of opus (in Latin, at least) is opera. Now isn't that confusing for musicians?

[chopininov]

Ignoramus -->Ignorami...?

[diminished2nd]

Lexus... Lexi?

[ahinton]

Genitives can be just as confusing, too - as is
Tasmania: Tasmaniac
(as ada will appreciate)

Best,

Alistair

[pianochick93]

Thanks watgoplunk and counterpoint. You have just given me my hysterical laugh for the day...

watgoplunki made me laugh, it sounds so silly (sorry...)
watgoplunkus...I lost it...it sound even sillier!

Not in a bad way, in a hysterically-funny-when-you-are-in-the-mood-I-am-in-right-now kinda way.

I love piano street...

(I'm not drunk...)

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Lexus... Lexi?

Perhaps Lexes (on the basis that nexus pluralizes to nexes).  However, if the if the word isn't derived originally from Latin, I'd be inclined to say it is probably Lexuses.

[pianowolfi]

No, pianowolfus is an aristocratic name in Switzerland. E.g. Count Karl von Pianowolfus or the well-known chuchichashtlian king Pianowolfus the First and Least.

May I introduce myself: Count Wolf von Pianowolfus the 88th

[pianorama]

omg I've forgotten how much of a laugh pianostreet is! 

[retrouvailles]

Walrus -> Walri?

[ahinton]

I think that we could all do with a few long hiati before proceeding farther with this...

Best,

Alistair