9 months ago “Octopi” is commonly used, but it is NOT correct.
Octopodes So, if we want to get technical about it because of its Greekness, the plural should be octopodes . In Latin, some plurals end with an i. "Octopuses" is better because it's the most common English plural form. Octopus. The answer, jubilantly reported by some of the pupils in their next lesson, is that because of the Greek (not Latin) roots of octopus, the plural might best be given as octopodes. It is a good question. A fourth form octopods is occasionally used by scientists for taxonomic purposes.
If you say octopodes, you’ll be corrected to … The Greek plural for octopus is octopodes, but this plural is not used in English. Octopi, the supposed plural of octopus, is a favorite among fans of quirky words, but it has no etymological basis.The form was created by English speakers out of a mistaken belief that octopus is Latin and hence pluralized with an -i ending. However, “octopus” actually comes from Greek, so it later got the super-rare pluralization, “octopodes” (pronounced ock-TOP-uh-deez). Octopus does indeed have Greek roots – but, so it appears, the word doesn’t actually have an … Currently, octopuses is the most common form in the UK as well as the US; octopodes is rare, and octopi is often objectionable. Octopi is the oldest plural of 'octopus,' coming from the belief that Latin origins should have Latin endings. The plural of hippopotamus, on the other hand, is hippopotami—though, again, hippopotamuses is fine. It’s simple! Octopoids is the plural of octopoid, not octopus. Why do some dictionaries also list octopi as a possibility? (I guarantee you that somebody will write an answer that asserts that it has attained correctness through usage. People are up in arms about it. The plural form of octopus is the animal version of there, their, they’re. What’s the plural of octopus?
The three main plurals for 'octopus' come from the different ways the English language adopts plurals. Well-meaning people may tell you that -i is a Latin plural, but "octopus" comes from the Greek.
Since the word octopus was originally Greek, it seems only logical that its plural form would be octopodes. The i was a mistake, but so many people adopted it that it became an acceptable alternative. The standard plural in English of octopus is octopuses.
See more. Currently, octopuses is the most common form in the UK as well as the US; octopodes is rare, and octopi is often objected to as incorrect. "Octopi," however, is a Latin form, and therefore totally incorrect. Some people (and dictionaries) also use octopi thinking it is how Latin would do the plural for octopus, but octopus actually comes from Greek not Latin. However, the word octopus comes from Greek and the Greek plural form octopodes is still occasionally used. The plural form octopi, formed according to rules for some Latin plurals, is incorrect Octopus is not a simple Latin word of the second declension, but a Latinized form of the Greek word oktopous, and its ‘correct’ plural would logically be octopodes. There’s a myth that the plural of octopus is octopi. Octopuses?
USAGE The standard English plural of octopus is octopuses. "Octopodes" is fine because the root of "octopus" is Greek, like "octopuses." Like many nouns, it has a few acceptable plural forms. Octopi is a mistaken formation based on interpreting octopus as being constructed using a Latin -us suffix when it is in fact constructed using a Greek -pus suffix. Whether you write octopi on Reddit, say octopodes on a podcast, or text octopuses to your friends, someone is going to correct you. Answer: You really can't go wrong if you try to come up with a plural for octopus on your own. Similarly, rhinoceros should become rhinocerotes , and stadium should become stadia . Since the word octopus was originally Greek, it seems only logical that its plural form would be octopodes. Lastly, octopodes stems from the belief that because 'octopus' is originally Greek, it … Like many nouns, it has a few acceptable plural forms. Octopodes?
Similarly, rhinoceros should become rhinocerotes , … Chris Payne lamented the use of "octopi" because "unfortunately ... it just 'sounds' correct." Other words ending in … Octopodes So, if we want to get technical about it because of its Greekness, the plural should be octopodes . Answer: You really can't go wrong if you try to come up with a plural for octopus on your own. Octopuses is the next plural, which gives the word an English ending as its been adopted as an English word. The correct forms are octopuses, octopodes, or octopi. Octopus, on the other hand, is a Greek-derived word, so it wouldn’t make sense for a Greek word to take a Latin ending. There are three plural forms of octopus: octopuses [ˈɒktəpəsɪz], octopi [ˈɒktəpaɪ], and octopodes [ˌɒkˈtəʊpədiːz].