Fact of the day : Some octopuses have been known ...

[paphos-mcfc]

Bad grammar, really.

It SHOULD be 'octopodes' when the plural is indicated, but whatever...

Nope.

There are three plural forms of octopus: octopuses, octopi, and octopodes. Currently, octopuses is the most common form in the UK as well as the US; octopodes is rare, and octopi is often objectionable.

The Oxford English Dictionary lists octopuses, octopi and octopodes (in that order); it labels octopodes "rare", and notes that octopi derives from the mistaken assumption that octōpūs is a second declension Latin noun, which it is not.

Wrong.

'Octopus' is GREEK not Latin, so the CORRECT plural would have been 'Octopode' as I indicated. But it has been in use here as English, which is why the dictionary accepts 'octopuses' as standard.

Sorry chum.

Think you'll find "Oktopodi" is Greek, although you are correct to state that the English word "Octopus" derives from the Greek word meaning of 8 (Okto) and Legs (podi). Sorry to split hairs Bigga.

 

[Bigga]

Nope.

Wrong.

'Octopus' is GREEK not Latin, so the CORRECT plural would have been 'Octopode' as I indicated. But it has been in use here as English, which is why the dictionary accepts 'octopuses' as standard.

Sorry chum.

Think you'll find "Oktopodi" is Greek, although you are correct to state that the English word "Octopus" derives from the Greek word meaning of 8 (Okto) and Legs (podi). Sorry to split hairs Bigga.

Splitting hairs, splitting arms, splitting legs...

Meh.

 

[paphos-mcfc]

Wrong.

'Octopus' is GREEK not Latin, so the CORRECT plural would have been 'Octopode' as I indicated. But it has been in use here as English, which is why the dictionary accepts 'octopuses' as standard.

Sorry chum.

Think you'll find "Oktopodi" is Greek, although you are correct to state that the English word "Octopus" derives from the Greek word meaning of 8 (Okto) and Legs (podi). Sorry to split hairs Bigga.

Splitting hairs, splitting arms, splitting legs...

Meh.

;)

 

[stony]

Octopi, the supposed plural of octopus, is a favorite among fans of quirky words. But though it pains us to point this out, octopi is not etymologically correct. Octopus is of Greek, not Latin, origin, so its archaic plural would be octopodes, not octopi.

In any event, there’s no reason to use a plural from any other language. Octopus was derived from a Greek source, but it has been in English for centuries and is now an English word, so we can treat it as one. Countless long-established Greek- and Latin-derived words are pluralized according to modern English conventions, and there’s no reason why octopus should be an exception. Octopuses is fine.