These forums have been archived and are now read-only.

The new forums are live and can be found at https://forums.eveonline.com/

Ships & Modules

 
  • Topic is locked indefinitely.
12Next page
 

what is the plural of "orthrus"?
Author
Previous Topic Next Topic
Muad 'dib
State War Academy
Caldari State
#1 - 2014-06-14 14:32:00 UTC
Orthruses?
Orthruii
Orthrus's

damnit eve, why you so hard to type stuff!!!!

Cosmic signature detected. . . . http://i.imgur.com/Z7NfIS6.jpg I got 99 likes, and this post aint one.
Adrie Atticus
Caldari Provisions
Caldari State
#2 - 2014-06-14 15:05:55 UTC  |  Edited by: Adrie Atticus
Orthr.

Edit: from a Latin lexicon, not made up. Yes, really.
Gorn Arming
Deep Core Mining Inc.
Caldari State
#3 - 2014-06-14 19:06:37 UTC
Latin words without meaningful or attested plurals in Latin (e.g. "chimera" or "virus") are normally pluralized according to English convention ("chimeras" or "viruses") when pluralized in English.

It's probably "Orthruses".
afkalt
Republic Military School
Minmatar Republic
#4 - 2014-06-14 19:08:29 UTC
"ah sh*t" is the common vernacular.
Caitlyn Tufy
Perkone
Caldari State
#5 - 2014-06-14 20:46:06 UTC
Adrie Atticus wrote:
Orthr.

Edit: from a Latin lexicon, not made up. Yes, really.


Except it's a greek beast and unique at that. As Gorn said, above, Orthruses would be the most logical plural.
elitatwo
Zansha Expansion
#6 - 2014-06-15 05:35:03 UTC
Muad 'dib wrote:
Orthruses?
Orthruii
Orthrus's

damnit eve, why you so hard to type stuff!!!!


Hey if you say something like 'I got two of the Mordus cruisers', nobody will notice you don't know the plural.

Eve Minions is recruiting.

This is the law of ship progression!

Aura sound-clips: Aura forever
Glathull
Warlock Assassins
#7 - 2014-06-15 06:27:23 UTC
There's a simple rule for this problem. If a word is so commonly used that you no longer feel the need to italicize it to indicate that it's a foreign word, then that word is considered to be anglicized: the normal rules for creating plurals in English apply.

Following this will save you the embarrassment of getting it wrong in the original language and coming across as a pretentious dolt instead of merely a smarty pants.

People do this all the time and completely miss the mark. They say things like octopi, thinking the word has a Latin root. It's Greek. The correct Greek plural is octopodes. But the correct English plural is octopuses.

So apply the test here. Do you italicize orthrus to indicate it is a foreign word? No.

Orthruses.

I honestly feel like I just read fifty shades of dumb. --CCP Falcon
Jacob Holland
Weyland-Vulcan Industries
#8 - 2014-06-15 09:16:06 UTC
Glathull wrote:
People do this all the time and completely miss the mark. They say things like octopi, thinking the word has a Latin root. It's Greek. The correct Greek plural is octopodes.

That's my line... Blink
To clarify (because people generally only ever learn this from the internets and therefore in written form) the 'e' in this case is pronounced so the word is (excuse the crude pseudo-pheonetics) "oc-tO-pO-deez" (in the same way as a brit might refer to Australasia as the antipodes).

My recollection is poor but, while the adoptive rule can apply, we capitalise the word (which has some relevance). I believe there's another rule which could be applied (though I'm not certain by any means). Orthus is a proper name, referring to a unique individual, and therefore would have no plural in Greek. I seem to recall something which allows such names to be their own plural (allowing the plural of Orthus to be Orthus; one Orthus, many Orthus).
My recollection is hazy at best and I may be conflating a number of half remembered things so please don't take my word for it...
But I like the sound of Orthus as its own plural...
Adrie Atticus
Caldari Provisions
Caldari State
#9 - 2014-06-15 09:18:58 UTC
Gorn Arming wrote:
Latin words without meaningful or attested plurals in Latin (e.g. "chimera" or "virus") are normally pluralized according to English convention ("chimeras" or "viruses") when pluralized in English.

It's probably "Orthruses".


Caitlyn Tufy wrote:
Adrie Atticus wrote:
Orthr.

Edit: from a Latin lexicon, not made up. Yes, really.


Except it's a greek beast and unique at that. As Gorn said, above, Orthruses would be the most logical plural.


After contacting some lovely people, the word is actually Greek and has proper plural of ' Orthrī '. It's a common surname apparently.
Rayzilla Zaraki
Yin Jian Enterprises
#10 - 2014-06-15 12:02:06 UTC
I believe it is Throatwobbler Mangrove.

Gate campers are just Carebears with anger issues.
Muad 'dib
State War Academy
Caldari State
#11 - 2014-06-15 12:13:40 UTC
I thought was one of those always plural ones, by its self, like fish.

Cosmic signature detected. . . . http://i.imgur.com/Z7NfIS6.jpg I got 99 likes, and this post aint one.
Marc Durant
#12 - 2014-06-15 12:34:17 UTC
I think the plural is "overpowered bullshit, I bet they have gang links and implants coming out of their ears too"

Yes, yes I am. Thanks for noticing.
Garviel Tarrant
Beyond Divinity Inc
Shadow Cartel
#13 - 2014-06-15 12:40:59 UTC
Lets just call it the Ort.. so then we can' just talk about Ort's

BYDI recruitment closed-ish

Muad 'dib
State War Academy
Caldari State
#14 - 2014-06-15 12:45:52 UTC
Garviel Tarrant wrote:
Lets just call it the Ort.. so then we can' just talk about Ort's


Can we call a gang of them an Ort Cloud?

Cosmic signature detected. . . . http://i.imgur.com/Z7NfIS6.jpg I got 99 likes, and this post aint one.
Garviel Tarrant
Beyond Divinity Inc
Shadow Cartel
#15 - 2014-06-15 12:52:31 UTC
Muad 'dib wrote:
Garviel Tarrant wrote:
Lets just call it the Ort.. so then we can' just talk about Ort's


Can we call a gang of them an Ort Cloud?


I doubt you will ever see a gang big enough to be a cloud but.. sure

BYDI recruitment closed-ish

Neiana Gan
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#16 - 2014-06-15 16:58:54 UTC
Orthrus'
Paikis
Vapour Holdings
#17 - 2014-06-15 18:07:53 UTC
I love that this thread exists.
Cara Forelli
State War Academy
Caldari State
#18 - 2014-06-15 20:51:14 UTC
If you see an Orthrus, and another Orthrus, I think you have bigger problems.

Want to talk? Join my channel in game: House Forelli

Titan's Lament
Yazzinra
Scorpion Ventures
#19 - 2014-06-15 20:59:31 UTC
Glathull wrote:
There's a simple rule for this problem. If a word is so commonly used that you no longer feel the need to italicize it to indicate that it's a foreign word, then that word is considered to be anglicized: the normal rules for creating plurals in English apply.

Following this will save you the embarrassment of getting it wrong in the original language and coming across as a pretentious dolt instead of merely a smarty pants.

People do this all the time and completely miss the mark. They say things like octopi, thinking the word has a Latin root. It's Greek. The correct Greek plural is octopodes. But the correct English plural is octopuses.

So apply the test here. Do you italicize orthrus to indicate it is a foreign word? No.

Orthruses.



My new grammar porn. thank you.

edit: seriously, porn is censored? heathens.
Glathull
Warlock Assassins
#20 - 2014-06-16 05:34:40 UTC
Jacob Holland wrote:
Glathull wrote:
People do this all the time and completely miss the mark. They say things like octopi, thinking the word has a Latin root. It's Greek. The correct Greek plural is octopodes.

That's my line... Blink
To clarify (because people generally only ever learn this from the internets and therefore in written form) the 'e' in this case is pronounced so the word is (excuse the crude pseudo-pheonetics) "oc-tO-pO-deez" (in the same way as a brit might refer to Australasia as the antipodes).

My recollection is poor but, while the adoptive rule can apply, we capitalise the word (which has some relevance). I believe there's another rule which could be applied (though I'm not certain by any means). Orthus is a proper name, referring to a unique individual, and therefore would have no plural in Greek. I seem to recall something which allows such names to be their own plural (allowing the plural of Orthus to be Orthus; one Orthus, many Orthus).
My recollection is hazy at best and I may be conflating a number of half remembered things so please don't take my word for it...
But I like the sound of Orthus as its own plural...



What a refreshing response. I bow to you good sir. I should say that the adoptive rule is not the only rule that can ever apply. I agree that the proper noun issue can throw some complication into it.

I was making a general point that it is the safest rule to apply. And so long as you follow it, people will be hard pressed and pedantic to really make a case that you are wrong. And more often than not, they will be wrong themselves when they try to correct you.

But in direct response, I would say that the proper noun issue is interesting. How would we talk about more than one Zeus? I think most people would agree on the adoptive rule and call them Zeuses, though that looks and sounds awkward. I don't know, I could see us talking about 4 or 5 Zeus.

I could also get behind the idea of 1 Orthrus and a blob of 20 Orthrus.

I honestly feel like I just read fifty shades of dumb. --CCP Falcon
12Next page