tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18229243.post2615746813226796485..comments2023-12-18T07:22:54.250-06:00Comments on Idle musings of a bookseller: The plural of indexjpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06017353888045816159noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18229243.post-87694115825719429102007-05-01T07:02:00.000-05:002007-05-01T07:02:00.000-05:00Carol,I used to think that also, but when I looked...Carol,<BR/><BR/>I used to think that also, but when I looked it up in Lewis & Short, they cited Augustine and 2nd declension. The reason most think it is 4th declension is because it appears to be a Greek loan word (although I couldn't find it in LSJ) formed from sun + lambano and many of those come into Latin as 4th declension nouns.<BR/><BR/>Jamesjpshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06017353888045816159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18229243.post-91433418777887541132007-05-01T02:00:00.000-05:002007-05-01T02:00:00.000-05:00My Greek/Latin prof told us the proper plural of "...My Greek/Latin prof told us the proper plural of "syllabus" was "syllabuses" because "syllabus" is a noun of the fourth declension (like "domus"), not of the more common second declension (like "alumnus"). Thus the Latin plural would be the same as the singular, "syllabus," and would be Anglicanized to "syllabuses." He did say the second-declension "syllabus/syllabi" was listed secondarily as aCarol Browninghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06494176566774143962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18229243.post-37262856959192950202007-03-28T21:07:00.000-05:002007-03-28T21:07:00.000-05:00Eisenbrauns uses the standard for book publishing ...Eisenbrauns uses the standard for book publishing in North America for the spelling, including plurals, of words, regardless of their etymology or derivation. Thus, the plural of index in Merriam-Webster's Third New International is (preferably) indexes, but also indices; of syllabus, the plural is (preferably) syllabi, but also syllabuses; of millennium, the plural is (preferably) millennia (notJimibookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05350718770950124997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18229243.post-25281930354387444112007-03-27T16:40:00.000-05:002007-03-27T16:40:00.000-05:00Yes, according to Lewis & Short's Latin Dictionary...Yes, according to Lewis & Short's Latin Dictionary, the plural of syllabus is syllabi, taken from the Greek. Interestingly, they only cite Augustine.<BR/><BR/>Kevin,<BR/><BR/>I agree!<BR/><BR/>Jamesjpshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06017353888045816159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18229243.post-55354350793248915462007-03-27T14:47:00.000-05:002007-03-27T14:47:00.000-05:00I'm for "indices," too. "Indexes" has the ring of...I'm for "indices," too. "Indexes" has the ring of "millenniums" to me.Kevin P. Edgecombhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16590490181739464401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18229243.post-77622126285070373312007-03-26T12:02:00.000-05:002007-03-26T12:02:00.000-05:00I say "syllabi"I say "syllabi"Patrick G. McCulloughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10407715419414104172noreply@blogger.com