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Proper Plural for Prius

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by Plain_jim, Sep 7, 2006.

  1. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(qbee42 @ Sep 7 2006, 01:25 PM) [snapback]315802[/snapback]</div>
    I don't know about you, but after the third or fourth declension, I'm too tired for a meaningful discussion. :)
     
  2. Marlin

    Marlin New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Renocat @ Sep 7 2006, 10:40 AM) [snapback]315701[/snapback]</div>
    However, if you look in the Dictionary, cacti and cactuses are both acceptable plurals for cactus, octopi and octopuses are both acceptable for octopus, foci and focuses are both acceptable for focus, so therefore priuses should be acceptable for prius.

    But, in reality, the English language, particularly American English, is defined through common usage. While some countries, such as France, have government committees that determine which words get added to the dictionaries, words are added to American English and it's dictionaries based on their usage in written communication. If a new word or form of a word catches on and is used in a number of written material, then it gets added to the dictionary.

    So, if you don't like the current choices for the plural of Prius, then make your own up. If enough people use it, then it will become one of the accepted plurals for Prius.
     
  3. rufaro

    rufaro WeePoo, Gen II

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Marlin @ Sep 7 2006, 11:28 AM) [snapback]315838[/snapback]</div>
    Thanks Marlin!

    Best,
    WeePriQueen, etc.
     
  4. orysia_effler

    orysia_effler New Member

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    This question was asked and answered on 1VS100 and the answer was priora. I thought that it would have been prii on the samples of the plural of cactus or octopus would be cacti and octopi which is what 22 out of 23 people thought too but we were all wrong!
     
  5. mikewithaprius

    mikewithaprius New Member

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    Latin scholars of FHOP,

    Would the ending change if we considered Prius a feminine noun? Romance languages assign the female gender to the word "car", therefore in French, for example, we'd have "la Prius" instead of "le Prius", even when the word car doesn't actually appear near it.

    So, with those languages being the closest relatives to Latin we have, can we say that the word "car" in Latin would have been feminine, and the new plural form would be:

    __________________?

    (fill in the blank!)
     
  6. maisry

    maisry New Member

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    I was extremely disappointed to read that "Prii" is official. In English it would be "Priuses."
     
  7. amm0bob

    amm0bob Permanently Junior...

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    IMO the Proper Plural for Prius

    Prius plural is Prius... just like Moose...