The true octopuses are members of the genus Octopus, a large group of widely distributed shallow-water cephalopods. So, you see, if octopuswere an English word, the plural form would obviously just be octopuses, since it is a noun ending in ⟨s⟩ and, in English, the way you find the plural form of such a noun is just by adding -esto the end. Modern usage of octopodes is so infrequent that many people mistakenly create the erroneous plural form octopi, formed according to rules for Latin plurals. How to use a word that (literally) drives some pe... Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words? Shall we have the grammatical discourse first, or save it for later? The Opisthoteuthis adorabilis’ arms are very short and have webbing in between each one. Any of various carnivorous marine cephalopod mollusks chiefly of the family Octopodidae, having a soft body, eight arms with suckers, a large distinct head, and a mouth with a strong beak. "Octopi" is mentioned by some dictionaries as an acceptable plural form of "octopus" because several words originating from Latin end in "i" in their plural form. Octopi is the oldest plural of octopus, coming from the belief that Latin origins should have Latin endings. The problem is, octopus derives from Greek. ", Our Word of the Year 'pandemic,' plus 11 more, monolith Octopuses have a relatively short life expectancy, with some species living for as little as six months. The plural form of octopus is octopuses or octopi (hypercorrect). Since octopus is Greek in origin, the classical Greek plural is octopodes, a form that is still occasionally used (but very rarely). It’s simple! BESEIGED BY DEVILFISH. octopus definition: 1. a sea creature with a soft, oval body and eight tentacles (= long parts like arms) 2. a sea…. something likened to an octopus, as an organization with many forms of far-reaching influence or control. The plural form of octopus is octopuses (or occasionally octopodes). Learn more. The plural is octopuses. Even so, "octopi" is a misspelling based on a misconception. Such a range of options might prompt even the most patient learner of the language to say "what the hell? 2 : something that resembles an octopus especially in having many centrally directed branches an octopus of a corporation which lends, buys, produces, and sells — Atlantic. Rule of thumb: if English gets the opportunity to trip you up, it will. 1880. enlarge image. Interesting. How do you make octopus plural? Grammatically speaking, the plural for octopus is octopuses. The Many Plurals of 'Octopus' Latin Endings for Latin Words. The plural of “octopus” is finally clarified. The plural form octopi, formed according to rules for some Latin plurals, is incorrect. Whistleblower changes tune, again, president-elect 16 Apr. Lastly, octopodes stems from the belief that because octopus is originally Greek, it should have a Greek ending. In Latin, some plurals end with an i. Octopi, the supposed plural of octopus, is a favorite among fans of quirky words, but it has no etymological basis. 'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'. This gives the tiny octopus the look of an orange ghost.Octopuses are about as smart as house cats. The problem is, octopus derives from Greek. The most popular plural form is octopuses. If you ask any group of people on the street, “What do you call more than oneoctopus”, most of the people in that group will probably say octopuses. As a word that comes from Greek, it follows Greek rules for plurals. Writing, grammar, and communication tips for your inbox. Some daring spirits with little Latin and less Greek, rushed upon octopi; as for octopuses, a man would as soon think of swallowing one of the animals thus described as pronounce such a word at a respectable tea-table. The plural form of octopus is octopuses or octopi. Many people don’t like octopi, and you will rarely see it in edited works, but it does occasionally appear. The i was a mistake, but so many people adopted it that it became an acceptable alternative. But it isn't, so octopi is wrong. The form was created by English speakers out of a mistaken belief that octopus is Latin and hence pluralized with an -i ending. Octopi appears to be the oldest of the three main plurals, dating back to the early 19th century. ), 7 Nov. 1873. Octopi appears to be the oldest of the three main plurals, dating back to the early 19th... English Endings for English Words. What more can you learn about plurals and spelling? Given that most people don't often encounter multiple specimens of this genus of cephalopod mollusks it is unlikely that you will ever find yourself in sudden need of deciding which plural form is correct. USAGE The standard English plural of octopus is octopuses. 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