When do I use -i for expressing the plural of a word?

Course Queries Syllabus Queries 3 years ago

3.99K 2 0 0 0

User submissions are the sole responsibility of contributors, with TuteeHUB disclaiming liability for accuracy, copyrights, or consequences of use; content is for informational purposes only and not professional advice.

Answers (2)

Post Answer
profilepic.png
manpreet Tuteehub forum best answer Best Answer 3 years ago

I've never been certain of the rules surrounding the use of the -i suffix for pluralizing a word. I had thought that it was used for any word whose singular ended in an 's', but that doesn't appear to always be true.

For example, the plural of octopus can be written octopi. But the plural of chorus seems to always be choruses, never chori.

When is it proper to use an -i for pluralization?

0 views
0 shares

profilepic.png
manpreet 3 years ago

Use "-i" for plurals when the word is borrowed from a Latin word that used "-i" for plurals. Note that in Latin not all words that end in "-us" are made plural by changing the "us" to "i". For example, in Latin the plural of "locus" (place) is "loci", but the plural of "fructus" (fruit) is "fructus".

Octopus comes from Greek and not Latin, and so does not follow the Latin rules.


0 views   0 shares

No matter what stage you're at in your education or career, TuteeHUB will help you reach the next level that you're aiming for. Simply,Choose a subject/topic and get started in self-paced practice sessions to improve your knowledge and scores.

Similar Forum