Dr. Weevil: Rhinoceri?

By Michael Bates on August 20, 2008 10:26 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dr. Weevil: Rhinoceri?

No, the plural of rhinoceros is rhinocerotes, and the plural of octopus is not octopi but octopodes. One apparatus, two apparatus, but if there's more than one, and you're being excruciatingly correct, you should pronounce it appara-toose, to reflect the lengthened u in the Latin 4th declension plural. More than you wanted to know about the formation of plurals for words of Latin and Greek origin.

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