Foreign Plurals
Words taken from foreign languages usually retain their foreign
plurals. Some of these words are used so commonly that they have
acquired an English plural which is formed in the regular way; that
is, by adding s
or es to the singular.
The following list gives the foreign and English plurals for some
commonly used foreign words. If no English plural is given, the
foreign plural is used.
Nouns of Latin and Greek Origin
1. on (um) -> a
Example:
| Singular |
Plural |
| datum |
data |
Continuum, criterion, curriculum, equilibrum,
infinitum, lotus rectrum (latera recta), symposium, spectrum, maximum,
medium, minimum, momentum, phenomenon, polyhedron, quantum, vacuum,
stratum.
2. is, (ix) -> e
Example:
| Singular |
Plural |
| axis |
axes |
Analysis, basis, crisis, directrix, vertex,
thesis, emphasis, hypothesis, matrix, parenthesis, phasis, synthesis.
Index - indices
3. us -> i
Example:
| Singular |
Plural |
| focus |
foci |
calculus, genius, locus, modulus, nucleus,
radius, rhombus.
4. Similar forms
Example:
| Singular |
Plural |
| an apparatus |
apparatus |
Headquarters, news, means, series, species.
5. a -> ae
Example:
| Singular |
Plural |
| abscissa |
abscissae |
Hyperbola, formula, corona, lacuna, nebula
Modern forms
abscissa - abscissas
formula - formulas
genius - geniuses
radius - radiuses
medium - mediums
index - indexes
rhombus - rhombuses
lacuna - lacunas
criterion - criterions
hyperbola - hyperbolas
terminus - terminuses
nucleus - nucleuses
spectrum - spectrums
vacuum - vacuums
maximum - maximums
