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[fqllve]

But has anyone looked at the story?

I just read the first couple chapters, it's funny. 'Equisition' made me laugh especially. I'm guessing it's MLP inspired by 40k?

I can't believe I hadn't heard of National Pony Writing Month.

[Bohandas]

But the "English" definition is an incorrect attempt to adhere to Latin grammar rules. The proper English one is, indeed, octopuses because it follows English pluralization rules.

Proper English is however English is spoken and written by the general public.

[Sordid]

But the "English" definition is an incorrect attempt to adhere to Latin grammar rules. The proper English one is, indeed, octopuses because it follows English pluralization rules.

Proper English is however English is spoken and written by the general public.

British National Corpus shows "octopuses" is roughtly three times more common than "octopi".

[Bohandas]

But the "English" definition is an incorrect attempt to adhere to Latin grammar rules. The proper English one is, indeed, octopuses because it follows English pluralization rules.

Proper English is however English is spoken and written by the general public.

British National Corpus shows "octopuses" is roughtly three times more common than "octopi".

But they're both still in wide use by the general public. (whereas I am skeptical that "octopodes" is used by anyone at all)

[fqllve]

Proper English is however English is spoken and written by the general public.

British National Corpus shows "octopuses" is roughtly three times more common than "octopi".

But they're both still in wide use by the general public. (whereas I am skeptical that "octopodes" is used by anyone at all)

I bet people who read William Safire use octopodes. I've never heard anyone use pegasoi though, I've never even heard anyone use hippopotamoi. Octopi, however, is easy to come up with as long as you know virii, cacti, alumni, etc. That's a card in its favor too, since its good for language rules to be simple and intuitive.

[Dsarker]

But has anyone looked at the story?

I just read the first couple chapters, it's funny. 'Equisition' made me laugh especially. I'm guessing it's MLP inspired by 40k?

I can't believe I hadn't heard of National Pony Writing Month.

Yeah, it's 40k MLP. I've got to lengthen it, but I thought the puns would go down well. I was tempted to have Venator say "Yer a wizard, Markon!", but I decided against it.

[Sordid]

But the "English" definition is an incorrect attempt to adhere to Latin grammar rules. The proper English one is, indeed, octopuses because it follows English pluralization rules.

Proper English is however English is spoken and written by the general public.

British National Corpus shows "octopuses" is roughtly three times more common than "octopi".

But they're both still in wide use by the general public. (whereas I am skeptical that "octopodes" is used by anyone at all)

29 hits for octopuses, 11 for octopi, and only 4 for octopodes. It's definitely the least common form.
Strangely enough, the British people don't seem to talk about winged horses in plural at all, I can't get any hits for any of the forms.

[Dsarker]

http://www.theoi.com/Thaumasios/PegasoiAithiopikoi.html

[Sordid]

Octopi, however, is easy to come up with as long as you know virii, cacti, alumni, etc.

486 hits for viruses, 0 for virii. So what you're saying there is that it's easier to misspell words if you also misspell other, similar words?

[Dsarker]

It is based off the idea that Latin is the root for everything.

Viruses (computer ones) is definitely the right spelling. If you're using the Latin word, you'd be wanting 'viri' anyway, which is already used for the plural of man.

[Sordid]

Only two hits for "viri", one of which is something about "a late crystallization of a titled noblesse in south-west France" in the 13th century and the other referring to The Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

[fqllve]

486 hits for viruses, 0 for virii. So what you're saying there is that it's easier to misspell words if you also misspell other, similar words?

Yes.

But I dunno, doesn't virus not even have a plural in Latin? The point is that it doesn't matter how we pluralize the words as long as it's intelligible. Octopi is fine because how many people really care about etymology anyway?

[Dsarker]

http://www.ofb.net/~jlm/virus.html

486 hits for viruses, 0 for virii. So what you're saying there is that it's easier to misspell words if you also misspell other, similar words?

Yes.

But I dunno, doesn't virus not even have a plural in Latin? The point is that it doesn't matter how we pluralize the words as long as it's intelligible. Octopi is fine because how many people really care about etymology anyway?

Every non-proper noun has a plural. Therefore, so does virus. Depending on the declension you believe it is from, the plural could well be virus, in the same way as fish is a singular and plural noun and present participle.

[fqllve]

Every non-proper noun has a plural.

Well, of course. I meant an attested plural.

[Dsarker]

Yes. Depends on what declension you think it is, though. Could be fourth or second.