[OT ALERT]
On 17/04/15 02:28, Valeri Galtsev wrote:
> clamav is a scanner that is designed to detect viruses (virii I should use
> for plural as it is Latin word)
I believe this 'rule' in English is misunderstood by many and as a
general rule of thumb...
tl;dr:
Words from Old English that came into modern English, use 'Old English'
pluralisation: eg, sheep, fish etc.
words adopted from other languages into English before and after modern
English established, use 'modern' pluralisation eg, tsunamis, octopuses.
<rant>
As 'virus' was adopted into English for usage in relation to bugs,
malwares etc. after the formation of modern English, the plural of
computer virus is computer viruses. IMO, in a medical sense, the virus
was first described in the 1890 - well after the formation of modern
English so even then the plural of virus in English is viruses.
Reasoning: If one had to learn the pluralisation of every word adopted
into modern English, then an English speaker would have to learn the
pluralisation rules for far more than just English (see above re
tsunami, octopus but also consider other non old English words such as
emoji alligator mannequin boulevard cookie umbrella alcohol nadir etc.)
For old English words, the pluralisation rules for them was set before
modern English evolved into what we know today so those old rules still
apply.
All in all, makes it a lot easier to know how to spell English plurals.
Some think opctopi is the plural of octopuses, when it wouldn't be
because it's Greek and not Latin anyway...
To whit: the belief many have that the English plural of virus is virii,
when in fact if anything it'd be afaik viri - which it isn't.
my 2c.
Pete.
[Authority: Platypuses, or Platypus - I believe the linguists are still
out on that one - live near me ;) ]
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