I know this is a Database forum (as opposed to a language forum) but kindly allow me a quick interjection here since I have met this
question many times, as posed by Scott in a forum question:
On 2014/02/01 06:01, Scott Robison wrote:
Exerpt: ...// *and* information that led to creation of ideal indexes (indices?). //...
The plural of Index is always "Indices", never "Indexes".
An Index (as a noun) means (among other things) a reference to a place, i.e. "Story
XXX can be found on page Y".
It could also mean a placeholder, such as a card attached to, and protruding from, page Y
announcing "Story XXX starts here".
In Database terms it mainly refers to a list/column of Key-value references from which the exact placement of the rest of the record
in the Database data tree/store/list can be deduced, i.e. it always refers to the noun "Index" and as such the plural is always
"Indices".
Index can however be a verb too: "Mary, please index this book for us..."
Or in present continuous form: "Mary is indexing the book."
And of course simple present transitive verb form: "I will Index this book while Mary Indexes that book..." - which is the only
valid form of the word "Indexes".
This even true for "American English" which sometimes get the blame for words used differently to "English English" (what a
tautological oxymoron!). So to be clear:
"Indexes" = Present tense of the Verb: "Index".
"Indices" = Plural of the Noun: "Index".
Hope this clears it up some!
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