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What's the plural of "Octopus"?

Coffee-Beans
Coffee-Beans
What's the plural of "Octopus"?
Heyy, during a marine biology lesson, my oldest child proudly announced that "octopuses" was the correct plural form of octopus, while my youngest insisted it was "octopi." Unsure who was correct, I decided to consult you for the definitive answer.
Coffee-Beans_
1
Last update: 6 days ago
1 answers
Naveed2
Naveed2
Naveed2

Hi, thank you for your great question!
The correct plural form would be 'octopuses', but I'm sure the kids will ask 'why' and here's the why:

'Octopus' comes from the Latinised word from the Greek 'októpus', which means 'eight foot'. This is where things get interesting!

While 'octopi' has become popular in modern usage, it's wrong. Octopi is the oldest plural form of octopus, coming from the belief that Latin origins should have Latin endings. However, since it's not a Latin word, using the Latin endings to a Greek word, is incorrect. 

Following the argument that it's a Greek word, and so it must have a Greek plural (i.e. 'octopodes'), might cause even more confusion. 

So, when a word is adopted as an English word, the plural gets an 'es' ending, as it's the rule. Generally, when a noun enters into English, it is pluralised as an English word rather than in its original form, in this case the latinised Greek. 'Octopuses' may sound peculiar to some, but this is the preferred plural. 

Hope this long explanation helps, and will satisfy their curiosity! :)

Naveed2
0
Last update: 7 months ago
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