Plurals of Foreign (Latin) Words Adopted into English
Making Words Plural
Rulebase Summary
Some foreign words, particularly those from Latin, have retained the plural of the original language. The plural form is usually based on the last letters of the singular:
-is becomes -es (basis→bases, analysis→analyses, oasis→oases); -um becomes -a (curriculum→curricula, addendum→addenda, memorandum→memoranda); -us becomes -i (alumnus→alumni, cactus→cacti, nucleus→nuclei); -a becomes -ae (vertebra→vertebrae, alumna→alumnae, bursa→bursae); -on becomes -a (criterion→criteria, phenomenon→phenomena); -ex or -ix becomes -ices (appendix→appendices or appendixes, index→indices or indexes).
Examples
Q. Were the analysises completed before the trial?
Q. Were the analyses completed before the trial?
Latin -is → -es for the plural.
A. The criterions for selection were very strict.
A. The criteria for selection were very strict.
Latin -on → -a for the plural.
Transcript Notes
For words ending in -ex or -ix, both the Latin plural (-ices) and the English plural (-es or -exes) are acceptable, but they have slight variations in meaning. Look up the plurals of these words in a dictionary. Many of these Latin plurals are commonly used in legal and medical testimony.
Style Guide References (6)
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