Re: [was:] Double line spacing
> On Aug 6, 2016, at 17:29, Brian Barker wrote: > >> 1 virus 2 viri 3 virii 4 viriv. .. 9 virix > > Ho, ho! A good one! original credit goes to Rob Slade [9 was my own addition] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Slade — jt - j...@jt-mj.net With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. However, this is not necessarily a good idea. It is hard to be sure where they are going to land, and it could be dangerous sitting under them as they fly overhead. -Request for Comments: 1925 IOOF - To unsubscribe, e-mail: users-unsubscr...@openoffice.apache.org For additional commands, e-mail: users-h...@openoffice.apache.org
Re: [was:] Double line spacing
At 17:53 06/08/2016 -0400, Felmon Davis wrote: just a quick (last) word: I take dictionaries to describe usage, not prescribe it ... True. ... thus they lag actual usage. Hmm... Brian Barker - To unsubscribe, e-mail: users-unsubscr...@openoffice.apache.org For additional commands, e-mail: users-h...@openoffice.apache.org
Re: [was:] Double line spacing
On Sat, 6 Aug 2016, Brian Barker wrote: At 13:43 06/08/2016 -0700, Jim McLaughlin wrote: I suggest that we agree to disagree ... You can disagree without my needing to agree that you can. If agreeing to disagree means that I accept that "virii" is as arguable as "viruses", then I don't. ... each knowing that we are each separately correct as to preferred usages in our respective geographic areas. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language says "viruses". Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary says "viruses". Other dictionaries give no irregular plural, implying the same. Sorry, but your defence of "virii" as an Americanism is simply untrue: USian dictionaries imply it's a misuse even there. just a quick (last) word: I take dictionaries to describe usage, not prescribe it thus they lag actual usage. not sure what authority dictionary writers would have to dictate usage anyway. f. -- Felmon Davis "All my life I wanted to be someone; I guess I should have been more specific." -- Jane Wagner - To unsubscribe, e-mail: users-unsubscr...@openoffice.apache.org For additional commands, e-mail: users-h...@openoffice.apache.org
Re: [was:] Double line spacing
At 13:43 06/08/2016 -0700, Jim McLaughlin wrote: I suggest that we agree to disagree ... You can disagree without my needing to agree that you can. If agreeing to disagree means that I accept that "virii" is as arguable as "viruses", then I don't. ... each knowing that we are each separately correct as to preferred usages in our respective geographic areas. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language says "viruses". Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary says "viruses". Other dictionaries give no irregular plural, implying the same. Sorry, but your defence of "virii" as an Americanism is simply untrue: USian dictionaries imply it's a misuse even there. Languages, even Latin, are living things and continually evolve. I thought every schoolboy knew that Latin was dead? (In any case, we were talking about a plural in English.) I promise to not make fun of your side's silly pronunciations of "clerk" and spelling and pronunciation of "aluminum" ... So you spell and pronounce helum, lithum, sodum, magnesum, potassum, calcum, titanum, etc. similarly? ... if you will refrain from calling me silly for my usage preferences. Oh, I never did. On the contrary, I called the non-word "virii" a silly formation; I made no such suggestion about you. That's important. Brian Barker - To unsubscribe, e-mail: users-unsubscr...@openoffice.apache.org For additional commands, e-mail: users-h...@openoffice.apache.org
Re: [was:] Double line spacing
At 17:19 06/08/2016 -0400, Julian Thomas wrote: 1 virus 2 viri 3 virii 4 viriv. .. 9 virix Ho, ho! A good one! Brian Barker - To unsubscribe, e-mail: users-unsubscr...@openoffice.apache.org For additional commands, e-mail: users-h...@openoffice.apache.org
Re: [OT] "lightly spread pedantry" (was: Double line spacing)
At 17:10 06/08/2016 -0400, Felmon Davis wrote: aw, and I was going to ask about 'data'! Philip Howard, who used to write on words for The [London] Times, had a short chapter in one of his books entitled "Data is not what they used to be"! Brian Barker - To unsubscribe, e-mail: users-unsubscr...@openoffice.apache.org For additional commands, e-mail: users-h...@openoffice.apache.org
Re: [OT] "lightly spread pedantry" (was: Double line spacing)
On Sat, 6 Aug 2016, Brian Barker wrote: At 16:29 06/08/2016 -0400, Felmon Davis wrote: ...how do you pluralize 'agenda'? "Agenda" is already a plural in Latin, meaning "doings". As it needs a plural in English, that again has to be a regular English plural: "agendas". (Er, should we get back to software?!) aw, and I was going to ask about 'data'! was (silly) fun! back to business. f. -- Felmon Davis If you're right 90% of the time, why quibble about the remaining 3%? - To unsubscribe, e-mail: users-unsubscr...@openoffice.apache.org For additional commands, e-mail: users-h...@openoffice.apache.org
Re: [OT] "lightly spread pedantry" (was: Double line spacing)
At 16:29 06/08/2016 -0400, Felmon Davis wrote: ...how do you pluralize 'agenda'? "Agenda" is already a plural in Latin, meaning "doings". As it needs a plural in English, that again has to be a regular English plural: "agendas". (Er, should we get back to software?!) Brian Barker - To unsubscribe, e-mail: users-unsubscr...@openoffice.apache.org For additional commands, e-mail: users-h...@openoffice.apache.org
Re: "lightly spread pedantry" [was: Double line spacing]
On 08/06/2016 04:04 PM, Brian Barker wrote: > The idea that all Latin nouns ending -us form plurals ending -i is > specious. > You mean martini isn't the plural of martinus? ;-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR_5h8CzRcI Around 4:45 Wayne & Shuster were a famous Canadian comedy duo. - To unsubscribe, e-mail: users-unsubscr...@openoffice.apache.org For additional commands, e-mail: users-h...@openoffice.apache.org
[OT] "lightly spread pedantry" (was: Double line spacing)
On Sat, 6 Aug 2016, Brian Barker wrote: At 13:14 06/08/2016 -0700, Jim McLaughlin wrote: virii Sorry, but that's sillier than silly. If "virus" were a second declension noun with a Latin plural (which it isn't), its plural would be "viri", not *"virii". Latin "viri" is actually the plural of "vir" and means "men". (I suppose some people do believe that all men are slime.) that's a great line (men and slime)! ok, so how about this one - how do you pluralize 'agenda'? *"Virii" would be the plural of the (non-existent) *"virius". btw I just take it that 'virii' is now slang so acceptable on that score, kind of like 'deletia' which is also impossible in Latin. f. -- Felmon Davis Encyclopedia for sale by father. Son knows everything. - To unsubscribe, e-mail: users-unsubscr...@openoffice.apache.org For additional commands, e-mail: users-h...@openoffice.apache.org
Re: "lightly spread pedantry" [was: Double line spacing]
At 15:40 06/08/2016 -0400, Felmon Davis wrote: so how do you guys pluralize 'virus'? This guy says that the Latin "virus" means something like "slime" and is a mass noun, having no plural: if you add slime to the slime you already have, you get more slime, not *"two slimes". In English, "virus" is a count noun, needing a plural. Since the word doesn't have a Latin plural, the only possibility is a regular English plural, "viruses". The idea that all Latin nouns ending -us form plurals ending -i is specious. Brian Barker - To unsubscribe, e-mail: users-unsubscr...@openoffice.apache.org For additional commands, e-mail: users-h...@openoffice.apache.org
