Pet peeve
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Warrior
Member # 1668
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 08:34
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I suspect I may be alone on this one.... But does anyone out there flinch every time they open up the Spiderweb homepage, to see in large print on the left-hand side: "Forums". Shouldn't it be "Fora"? -------------------- "Mongo only pawn in game of life" -- Mongo Posts: 75 | Registered: Monday, August 5 2002 07:00 |
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Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 08:57
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Standard English plurals are always acceptable. "Fora" is also correct, but it's not necessary. [ Thursday, March 24, 2005 08:57: Message edited by: Kelandon ] -------------------- Arancaytar: Every time you ask people to compare TM and Kel, you endanger the poor, fluffy kittens. Kelandon's Pink and Pretty Page!!: the authorized location for all things by me The Archive of all released BoE scenarios ever Posts: 7968 | Registered: Saturday, February 28 2004 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 09:15
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Forums in fact appears to be the preferred English plural. Maybe not linguistically, but certainly numerically. That doesn't make it any more right (it's not easy to misunderestimate the ease with which words spread irregardless of their technical existence), but I think quite a few people would have no idea what "fora" are. —Alorael, who has in fact never heard of any online boards being called fora. It makes sense, but it doesn't happen. The internet always wins the linguistic wars, lol!!!1! Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 1668
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 09:55
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I guess that's why I had it under the rubric of "pet peeve" as opposed to "typo" or "error". I know that both are right, but heck, what ever happened to people using the proper, Latin derivations. My blessed Latin teacher would be rolling around in her grave, but she's still alive, living on the Amalfi coast with her grandchildren... -------------------- "Mongo only pawn in game of life" -- Mongo Posts: 75 | Registered: Monday, August 5 2002 07:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 3530
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 10:18
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yea, the english language is very complicated, and I just recently found out that the correct spell of "all right" is not spelled "alright" and the same with "a lot", not "alot" Very strange. Posts: 79 | Registered: Tuesday, October 7 2003 07:00 |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 4214
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 10:25
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I agree that the word "fora" is certainly far more elegant than the word "forums". Posts: 356 | Registered: Tuesday, April 6 2004 07:00 |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 10:40
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Yeah, but how far can you take this kind of thing? For instance, how many people realize, as I learned from an essay on this topic by WVO Quine, that the Latin plural of 'octopus' would be 'octopodes'? Or that the Greek plural of 'rhinoceros' would be 'rhinocerotes'? There's a point at which you admit that you're speaking English, not an ancient dead language, and go with the flow. It works, and it's not pretentious. On the other hand, for years I have been calling an individual broccoli floret a 'broccolo'. -------------------- It is not enough to discover how things seem to seem. We must discover how things really seem. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 12:27
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It's called a broccolo? Wow, I've been saying "broccolus" for as long as I can remember. I feel stupid now. -------------------- My BoE Page Bandwagons are fun! Roots Hunted! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 12:29
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Google says I'm actually right, but it was luck. I just decided 'broccolo' sounded better. Likewise 'spaghetto'. [ Thursday, March 24, 2005 12:34: Message edited by: Student of Trinity ] -------------------- It is not enough to discover how things seem to seem. We must discover how things really seem. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
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Master
Member # 4614
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 13:25
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Or you could just stay "a stalk of broccoli" or "a sphagetti noodle" or, for "a lot", just say "many" or "numerous." However, I never realized that such words as broccoli even had proper singulars, or if they'll ever be needed. But while we're on the subject, yeah, it seems like it should be "broccolus", kind of like fungi/fungus or cacti/cactus. EDIT: Oh, and BtW, I have never seen or heard of the word "fora". It sounds more like flora to me that the word for a group of (for understantibility) forums. [ Thursday, March 24, 2005 13:28: Message edited by: ben2 ] -------------------- -ben4808 For those who love to spam: CSM Forums RIFQ Posts: 3360 | Registered: Friday, June 25 2004 07:00 |
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Master
Member # 1046
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 15:16
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Until now, I didn't even know the proper plural of 'forum' is actually 'fora'. Thanks a lot for making me feel like a FOB, guys. -_- -------------------- Polaris - Weather balloons, ninjas, and your big daddy Wise Man. What more could you want? Undead Theories - Don't Ask, Don't Tell Posts: 3323 | Registered: Thursday, April 25 2002 07:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 2238
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 16:05
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I always knew "alot" was incorrect, but I'm still fairly certain "alright" is common, accepted English. I could be wrong, though, seeing as I just seemed to find out I was spelling "forward" wrong my whole life. Or something like that... Also, I like "fora". I think I'll use that from now, tither. -------------------- The critics agree! Demonslayer is "a five star hit!" raves TIMES Weekly! "I've never heard such thoughtful comments. This man is a genious!" says two-time Nobel Prize winning physicist Erwin Rasputin! Posts: 1582 | Registered: Wednesday, November 13 2002 08:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 3530
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 16:12
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[QUOTE]Originally written by ben2: [QB] However, I never realized that such words as broccoli even had proper singulars, or if they'll ever be needed. But while we're on the subject, yeah, it seems like it should be "broccolus", kind of like fungi/fungus or cacti/cactus. I know something to add, but I think I might get banned, so I'll keep my mouth shut, especially after the recent bannings. Posts: 79 | Registered: Tuesday, October 7 2003 07:00 |
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Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 18:26
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I draw the line at consonant-stem Greek nouns, like "rhinoceros" and "octopus." Unless you actually pronounce "rhinoceros" with a hard C, there's no point in pretending that you're speaking Greek. It's "rhinoceroses" every time. -------------------- Arancaytar: Every time you ask people to compare TM and Kel, you endanger the poor, fluffy kittens. Kelandon's Pink and Pretty Page!!: the authorized location for all things by me The Archive of all released BoE scenarios ever Posts: 7968 | Registered: Saturday, February 28 2004 08:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 2238
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 18:42
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That's funny to me, because for like a year, two friends and I started pronouncing everything like ancient Greek. We found people still understood what we were saying, but they always gave us an odd look. -------------------- The critics agree! Demonslayer is "a five star hit!" raves TIMES Weekly! "I've never heard such thoughtful comments. This man is a genious!" says two-time Nobel Prize winning physicist Erwin Rasputin! Posts: 1582 | Registered: Wednesday, November 13 2002 08:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 5619
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 18:45
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I don't argee with Wary Wanderer, because "fora" is kind the short, and "forums" stand out better. -------------------- If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Posts: 90 | Registered: Wednesday, March 23 2005 08:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 5564
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 18:48
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I knew about octopodes, but I hadn't heard of fora before. Personally, I like "forums" better, but that could be because I'm so use to seeing it that way... Posts: 22 | Registered: Tuesday, March 1 2005 08:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 247
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 19:00
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Crazy bunch of linguists! I can hardly spell the words that are in common form. I can write circles round yo ass but don't ask me to spell correctly. Edit 1 more post will be 1,000. I shall find a good topic for it. [ Thursday, March 24, 2005 19:01: Message edited by: VCH ] -------------------- I stop rubber at 160km/h, five times a week. CANUCKS RESPEK! My Style The Knight Between Posts. Posts: 2395 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 19:26
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Now I've run into my own pet peeve: nonstandard English. I'm guilty of abusing English myself, notably commas and sentence fragments, but words like "alright" bother me. To be technical about it, the word is common but still not proper. I'm not quite sure why, but it's not proper. Because English is like that. —Alorael, who has a love-hate relationship with English. He loves to correct people on the tiniest details and forcefully proclaims that English is a nonsensical, poorly amalgamated, worthless excuse for a language. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 19:28
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"Alright" is the standard form in Commonwealth English, I believe. -------------------- My BoE Page Bandwagons are fun! Roots Hunted! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 4214
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written Friday, March 25 2005 00:01
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My spelling corrector recognizes "alright". Posts: 356 | Registered: Tuesday, April 6 2004 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 2984
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written Friday, March 25 2005 02:28
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On almost (wait, shouldn't that be "All most"?) every occasion I have seen several animals called "octopus" being referred to, collectively, as octopodes. Mainly because the English plural, relying on an 's', is quite tricky to add to a word ending on s. On the other hand, I have seen "octopi", which is most likely incorrect, but at least sounds sorta correct. ;) -------------------- The Encyclopaedia Ermariana <-- Now a Wiki! "Polaris leers down from the black vault, winking hideously like an insane watching eye which strives to convey some strange message, yet recalls nothing save that it once had a message to convey." --- HP Lovecraft. "Really, Spiderweb is just a big, steaming pool of estrogen." --- Robin Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
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Agent
Member # 618
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written Friday, March 25 2005 06:23
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Well, I learnt a long time ago that fora was the correct word, but it does look better, to the average person, who is unused to it, to use forums. I'm guilty of many counts of murdering the English language and making up new words, to express somethings or just to call someone silly, without them realising. It's an irrational language, anyway. One that changes very easily. I guess I enjoy the flexibility I can get with some words. -------------------- Aut Tace Aut Loquere Meliora Silencio Posts: 1487 | Registered: Sunday, February 10 2002 08:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 4592
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written Friday, March 25 2005 12:54
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I were reading a new today about this people who found too interested datas about fishes. I now it doesn't has to do with this threat butt I thoght it interesting. On the other hand. I'd like to see "fora," perhaps, but I'm used to seeing "forums." I wonder if it's okay to the following: once a word is adopted by another language, that language can do whatever it wants with it, even if it ignores the rules to which that word used to be subservient to. So, when we use "Forums" in the net, it is the English word for it. It may have a root in Latin, but we're not talking Latin, the Forums are not in Latin, nor are they about Latin subjects (though one or two may pop up once in a while.) So, even if "fora" may be the correct plural for it in Latin, English, it seems, has used its right to be a dictator and obviated that little fact. Now, if you went to a Latin site, all in Latin and you saw "Forums" there, I guess that might be cause for concern. If we stuck to every single rule that every single word in a language used to follow when it was part of another language, then things would be very funky indeed. -------------------- quote:Random Jack Vance Quote Manual Generator Apparatus (Cugel's Saga) Posts: 604 | Registered: Sunday, June 20 2004 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Friday, March 25 2005 13:13
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Both octopuses and octopi are correct English pluralizations. Octopodes wins style points, but it's not right. Pseudo-Latin always wins. —Alorael, who loves meeses to pieces! English needs to take Germany's example and make itself more reasonable. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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