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TheGreatCthulhu

Composer of the Night.
Joined
Jan 22, 2016
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United States of America
Gender
Very much a dude.
The technicality is that it's circumstantial. Octopi is the plural if the individuals are of the same species of octopus. Octopuses refers to individuals of multiple species. The same goes for fish and fishes.
Well, there are three plurals of octopus.

Octopi, which stems from the idea that Latin words should have Latin endings. Even though octopus is a Greek word, though Latinized.

Octopuses, which stems from the idea that English words should have English endings.

Octopodes, which stems from the idea that Greek words should have Greek endings.

But I like your idea, better. I've always referred to two individuals of the same species of octopus as "octopi" and multiple species of octopus as "octopuses."

Point is, English is funny.
 
Joined
Oct 30, 2018
Well, there are three plurals of octopus.

Octopi, which stems from the idea that Latin words should have Latin endings. Even though octopus is a Greek word, though Latinized.

Octopuses, which stems from the idea that English words should have English endings.

Octopodes, which stems from the idea that Greek words should have Greek endings.

But I like your idea, better. I've always referred to two individuals of the same species of octopus as "octopi" and multiple species of octopus as "octopuses."

Point is, English is funny.
English is just dumb.
 

el :BeoWolf:

When all else fails use fire
Joined
Feb 5, 2016
Gender
Centaleon
Why is the plural of "goose," "geese," but the plural of "moose," is "moose"?

Also, why is the plural of "box," "boxes," but the plural of "ox," is "oxen"?

****ing hell English, you're drunk.
English is just multiple languages in a trench coat pretending to be one.
 

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