[Im2damnsexy]

It's completely obvious to me. Plural is Sollies.

:agree:
Sometimes the truth is clearly evident.

 

[GREY GHOST]

I prefer Sols so I did not vote

 

[AustinTashis]

Oh SNAP. I stand corrected. :bow:

What the F IS the plural of ibex?

Probably ibexes, but that's not as funny as ibices.

How about the plural of mongoose?

There's an old story about a guy who wanted to start raising mongooses, so he wrote a letter to an established breeder:

Dear Sir:

Please send me a pair of mongooses.

He decided that didn't look right, so he started over.

Dear Sir:

Please send me a pair of mongeese.

He didn't like the way that looked either, so he wrote:

Dear Sir:

Please send me a female mongoose. While you're at it, better send me a male one too.

 

[mcurrier]

Dear Sir:

Please send me a female mongoose. While you're at it, better send me a male one too.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: That was good.

 

[ScottJSmith]

Solstice - from the Latin word Solstitium (Sol="sun", stit="stand")
Latin words ending in -us are made plural by changing to -i
Greek words ending in -us are made plural by adding -es
I cannot find rules for words ending in -ice, except for the generic -s or -es.

UPDATE: According to http://www.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/wordz.pl?english=solstice, the plural of solstitium is either solstiti or solstitii

http://www.reference.com/browse/all/solstice uses "Solstices"
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?search=solstice uses "Solstices"

But "Solsti" just sounds so cool, so since this is really a brand name, its plural doesn't necessarily have to follow generic convention. Other options:

• Solsta
• Solstii
• Solsticia
• Solstera

alumnus = alumni
bacillus = bacilli
cactus = cacti
hippopotamus = hippopotami
platypus = platypi
uterus = uteri

gladius = gladii
radius = radii

corpus = corpora

genus = genera
viscus = viscera
octopus = octopuses (note: octopi also occurs, although strictly speaking unfounded, since the word is of Greek, not Latin origin. The theoretically correct form octopodes is rarely used)

 

[ScottJSmith]

Probably ibexes, but that's not as funny as ibices.

How about the plural of mongoose?

According to www.m-w.com:
Inflected Form(s): plural ibex or ibex·es
Inflected Form(s): plural mon·goos·es also mon·geese

 

[AustinTashis]

Inflected Form(s): plural mon·goos·es also mon·geese

So they're both correct? Interesting. Both still sound bad. :ack:

 

[Cpt_kludge]

Solstice - from the Latin word Solstitium (Sol="sun", stit="stand")
Latin words ending in -us are made plural by changing to -i
Greek words ending in -us are made plural by adding -es
I cannot find rules for words ending in -ice, except for the generic -s or -es.

http://www.reference.com/browse/all/solstice uses "Solstices"
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?search=solstice uses "Solstices"

But "Solsti" just sounds so cool, so since this is really a brand name, its plural doesn't necessarily have to follow generic convention. Other options:

• Solsta
• Solstii
• Solsticia
• Solstera

alumnus = alumni
bacillus = bacilli
cactus = cacti
hippopotamus = hippopotami
platypus = platypi
uterus = uteri

gladius = gladii
radius = radii

corpus = corpora

genus = genera
viscus = viscera
octopus = octopuses (note: octopi also occurs, although strictly speaking unfounded, since the word is of Greek, not Latin origin. The theoretically correct form octopodes is rarely used)

Brought to you by the National Organization of Engish Majors
Great stuff Scott!

 

[AustinTashis]

Solstice - from the Latin word Solstitium (Sol="sun", stit="stand")
Latin words ending in -us are made plural by changing to -i
Greek words ending in -us are made plural by adding -es
I cannot find rules for words ending in -ice, except for the generic -s or -es.

http://www.reference.com/browse/all/solstice uses "Solstices"
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?search=solstice uses "Solstices"

But "Solsti" just sounds so cool, so since this is really a brand name, its plural doesn't necessarily have to follow generic convention. Other options:

• Solsta
• Solstii
• Solsticia
• Solstera

alumnus = alumni
bacillus = bacilli
cactus = cacti
hippopotamus = hippopotami
platypus = platypi
uterus = uteri

gladius = gladii
radius = radii

corpus = corpora

genus = genera
viscus = viscera
octopus = octopuses (note: octopi also occurs, although strictly speaking unfounded, since the word is of Greek, not Latin origin. The theoretically correct form octopodes is rarely used)

Also,

biceps = biceps (same with triceps, quadriceps, forceps, etc.)
series = series
species = species

 

[SolsticeMan]

From someone who posted on a forum that I'm to embarrased to name...

(discussion about the plural of 'status', which happens to be in similar form to the original Latin 'solstus', and the plural of such, called a u-stem noun root, is simply solstus... someone mentioned that possibly the plural of 'status' might be 'statii' or 'stati'...)

...There is no word like "stati" in English. "Status" is originally a Latin noun and in Latin it declines as a u-stem noun. So in Latin, the plural form of "status" is also "status". Another word of this sort is "virus". The plural of "virus" in Latin is "virus". But now English people pluralize them as "statuses" and "viruses". In contrast with them, the Latin noun "alumnus" declines as an o-stem noun, and the plural form is "alumni", which is also true in English.

alumnus, bacillus, and others you mention actually have an o-stem noun root, therefore it is proper to pluralize by tranforming them into alumni, bacillii, etc.

yes... we English bastards have made them all LOOK alike, so we can't tell without reasearch that words like 'solstus' and 'status' are have roots in u-stem Latin words, and words that look similar like 'alumnus' and 'radius' are actually o-stem Latin words....


...it's enough to make your head :brentil:



The proper way to pluralize a proper noun that does not end in 'S' or 'S' sound (as in ending in 'X') is to simply add an...

..."S".

If the proper noun ends in an "S" sound, like solstice (SOL - stis), an X prounounced with an ending "S" sound, an "SH" sound, "Z" or "ZH" sounds, or simply the letter S, is to add...


..."ES".

Barbara Bush went to a convention where she met several other BUSHES.

I'm going to ask Bill Fox over for dinner. In fact, we'll have all the FOXES over for dinner - and include all six of his brother's families too.

I saw Amy Sands the other day. Turns out that the Sandses are thinking of moving. (I know this doesn't seem to SOUND right, but is the proper way to pluralize the proper last name of 'Sands')

The HERTZES are going to try to meet us at the park. Johnny Hertz is an old friend of mine.

"Solstice" is the proper name of our car. It ends in an "S" sound. Adding 'es' to the end fits this first rule.

Generally, one does not change the spelling of a plural proper noun otherwise, just add the 's'. The plural of MX-5 is not MX-fives. It is "MX-5s".

Secondly, the plural of the word 'solstice' according to multiple dictionaries, both online and {{{***GASP*** on PAPER!!! :lol: }}} is actually 'solstices'.

I won't get into the great details about declension and such, just to add that another person had this to say about the suggestion to make the plural of status into 'stati' or 'statii'...

«Status» is a noun of the fourth declension. It has the plural «status» in Latin with a long U. «Stati» is therefore an error.

Status and Solstitum are very similar in etymology. Both strike at the root meaning of 'standing' or 'to stand', 'standing still' and so on (at the very root is the latin 'stare'). Both have similar decension. Anglicised, they have taken on a similar pluralization with other proper nouns ending in sh, s, or x (ending in 's' sound)...

...adding an 'es'.


this info brought to you over a lunchtime phone call with an old friend of mine that is REALLY into word etymology... :thumbs:

 

[AustinTashis]

I saw Amy Goodman the other day. Turns out that the Goodmen are thinking of moving. :lol:

 

[ScottJSmith]

From someone who posted on a forum that I'm to embarrased to name...

...

this info brought to you over a lunchtime phone call with an old friend of mine that is REALLY into word etymology... :thumbs:

SolStiCeS just has too many "S" sounds over too short a period. SolStiCeSeS just doesn't roll off the tongue well. SolStiCeSeSeS just SaSaSaSounds SaSaSaSilly.

I'll stick to my previous "edited" post and the University of Notre Dame: "the plural of solstitium is either solstiti or solstitii" -- So, I change my vote from "Solsti" to "Solstici"

So there!

:smug:

 

[dori-san]

...There is no word like "stati" in English. "Status" is originally a Latin noun and in Latin it declines as a u-stem noun. So in Latin, the plural form of "status" is also "status". Another word of this sort is "virus". The plural of "virus" in Latin is "virus". But now English people pluralize them as "statuses" and "viruses". In contrast with them, the Latin noun "alumnus" declines as an o-stem noun, and the plural form is "alumni", which is also true in English.

But I have heard (and have used) for the plural of virus, the word virii (pronounced veer•eye).

If the proper noun ends in an "S" sound, like solstice (SOL - stis), an X prounounced with an ending "S" sound, an "SH" sound, "Z" or "ZH" sounds, or simply the letter S, is to add...


..."ES".

However, the plural of Ox is OXEN. Now lets try and wrap our heads around that! Solsten? :brentil:




I say Solsti. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it! :leaving:

 

[AustinTashis]

But I have heard (and have used) for the plural of virus, the word virii (pronounced veer•eye).

I've seen that used a lot in reference to computer viruses. I don't know where they got it from. They should have asked the biologists. I've never heard a biologist say "virii."

 

[SolsticeMan]

Notre Dame is not the only university with language experts.

SJS - you should look closer at what the entries mean in the site you have. Not all of Whittaker's declensions are correct, either. It doesn't take long to get to the root of both status (noun) [XXXBX], 'standing pat' or 'at rest' (stare [XXXAX]) and understand that solstice is really a construction of the 'sun standing still'.

You'll get all kinds of arguments about which is the right etymology. In the end, only the accepted modern English makes sense to me.

We already know the origin of the name of the Solstice is exactly tied to the astronomical solstice - a change of seasons and all that... the old rumor is that the convertible shown in 2002 was unofficially called "summer Solstice", and of course, the hardtop called....

...well, pretty obvious.

The accepted modern English plural of Solstice is not Solsti, Solstii, or anything resembling it. The plural of 'solstice' is 'solstices'.

So, for me it's:

"Solstices"

Made my case, and I'm sticking to it. :lol:


('sall in fun, anyways. Call it what ya want. Potato, potato, tomato, tomato.... wait, those are all spelled the same, huh?)

Besides, I talked one time to a person in the automotive journalism industry. They claimed to be the 'first one' to coin the term Solstii as a plural for Solstice (the proper name for our car). I don't ever want to give one of these guys credit for anything... :glol:



Goodmen... heh...

You do know that it would be "Goodmens", right? :rofl:

 

[ScottJSmith]

Goodmi? :leaving:

 

[SolsticeMan]

Goodmi? :leaving:

Oh my.... :lol:

Isn't that really Goodmii?

now, really :leaving: