What is the plural form of 'Achilles(Achilles tendon)'?
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In Oxford Learner's Dictionary, under Achilles tendon, it says that
- Achilles tendon = Achilles
Then the plural of 'Achilles tendon' is 'Achilles tendons'.
But, what is the plural form of "Achilles"?
grammar
asked Dec 15 at 14:55
west wind
232
add a comment |
In Oxford Learner's Dictionary, under Achilles tendon, it says that
- Achilles tendon = Achilles
Then the plural of 'Achilles tendon' is 'Achilles tendons'.
But, what is the plural form of "Achilles"?
grammar
asked Dec 15 at 14:55
west wind
232
add a comment |
In Oxford Learner's Dictionary, under Achilles tendon, it says that
- Achilles tendon = Achilles
Then the plural of 'Achilles tendon' is 'Achilles tendons'.
But, what is the plural form of "Achilles"?
grammar
asked Dec 15 at 14:55
west wind
232
In Oxford Learner's Dictionary, under Achilles tendon, it says that
- Achilles tendon = Achilles
Then the plural of 'Achilles tendon' is 'Achilles tendons'.
But, what is the plural form of "Achilles"?
grammar
grammar
asked Dec 15 at 14:55
west wind
232
asked Dec 15 at 14:55
west wind
232
asked Dec 15 at 14:55
west wind
232
asked Dec 15 at 14:55
west wind
232
asked Dec 15 at 14:55
west wind
232
232
add a comment |
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
Why should you want "the plural of Achilles"? Nouns (common or proper) used as the non-final element of compounds don't usually take a plural ending; and if they do, they always take it. They don't change when the whole phrase is plural:
kitchen unit -> kitchen units.
cable provider -> cable providers.
and
glasses case -> glasses cases.
If you really want to talk about more than one Achilles, then most people would say "Achilleses", but people often aren't sure how to write it. I suspect some people would say "two Achilles" (like "two series").
answered Dec 15 at 15:21
Colin Fine
63.7k170160
add a comment |
Google finds around a dozen hits for "two achilles are", and only one for "two achilleses are". So I would say the consensus is that the plural of Achilles is Achilles.
However pluralizing achilles is so rare that I assume most people who do it aren't copying the plural form from things they've heard, but coming up with it de novo. So I would be very heistant to call achilleses wrong.
answered Dec 15 at 18:50
Peter Shor
61.6k5117220
2
Perhaps it's because words ending in unstressed /iz/ already "sound" plural: fillies, axis>axes, basis>bases, crisis>crises, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, gives me the willies.
– tchrist♦
Dec 15 at 19:03
@tchrist: that's probably why. And two additional words: species>species and series>series.
– Peter Shor
Dec 16 at 16:21
Besides those two you note from Latin’s 5ᵗʰ-declension, other examples invariant in the plural because of already ending in unstressed /iːz/ (UK) or /iz/ (US) are Pekinese for the dog and Siamese for the cat. As far as I can discern, ᴀʟʟ -ese demonyms and logonyms ending in unstressed /iz/ strongly resist (block?) further /ǝz/ inflections, whether to make them plural or to make them possessive. Same with Mercedes being invariant, be it car make or woman’s name. That’s why I believe these all operate under some kind of untaught sound law.
– tchrist♦
Dec 16 at 17:34
add a comment |
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2 Answers
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
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votes
Why should you want "the plural of Achilles"? Nouns (common or proper) used as the non-final element of compounds don't usually take a plural ending; and if they do, they always take it. They don't change when the whole phrase is plural:
kitchen unit -> kitchen units.
cable provider -> cable providers.
and
glasses case -> glasses cases.
If you really want to talk about more than one Achilles, then most people would say "Achilleses", but people often aren't sure how to write it. I suspect some people would say "two Achilles" (like "two series").
answered Dec 15 at 15:21
Colin Fine
63.7k170160
add a comment |
Why should you want "the plural of Achilles"? Nouns (common or proper) used as the non-final element of compounds don't usually take a plural ending; and if they do, they always take it. They don't change when the whole phrase is plural:
kitchen unit -> kitchen units.
cable provider -> cable providers.
and
glasses case -> glasses cases.
If you really want to talk about more than one Achilles, then most people would say "Achilleses", but people often aren't sure how to write it. I suspect some people would say "two Achilles" (like "two series").
answered Dec 15 at 15:21
Colin Fine
63.7k170160
add a comment |
Why should you want "the plural of Achilles"? Nouns (common or proper) used as the non-final element of compounds don't usually take a plural ending; and if they do, they always take it. They don't change when the whole phrase is plural:
kitchen unit -> kitchen units.
cable provider -> cable providers.
and
glasses case -> glasses cases.
If you really want to talk about more than one Achilles, then most people would say "Achilleses", but people often aren't sure how to write it. I suspect some people would say "two Achilles" (like "two series").
answered Dec 15 at 15:21
Colin Fine
63.7k170160
Why should you want "the plural of Achilles"? Nouns (common or proper) used as the non-final element of compounds don't usually take a plural ending; and if they do, they always take it. They don't change when the whole phrase is plural:
kitchen unit -> kitchen units.
cable provider -> cable providers.
and
glasses case -> glasses cases.
If you really want to talk about more than one Achilles, then most people would say "Achilleses", but people often aren't sure how to write it. I suspect some people would say "two Achilles" (like "two series").
answered Dec 15 at 15:21
Colin Fine
63.7k170160
answered Dec 15 at 15:21
Colin Fine
63.7k170160
answered Dec 15 at 15:21
Colin Fine
63.7k170160
answered Dec 15 at 15:21
Colin Fine
63.7k170160
63.7k170160
add a comment |
add a comment |
Google finds around a dozen hits for "two achilles are", and only one for "two achilleses are". So I would say the consensus is that the plural of Achilles is Achilles.
However pluralizing achilles is so rare that I assume most people who do it aren't copying the plural form from things they've heard, but coming up with it de novo. So I would be very heistant to call achilleses wrong.
answered Dec 15 at 18:50
Peter Shor
61.6k5117220
2
Perhaps it's because words ending in unstressed /iz/ already "sound" plural: fillies, axis>axes, basis>bases, crisis>crises, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, gives me the willies.
– tchrist♦
Dec 15 at 19:03
@tchrist: that's probably why. And two additional words: species>species and series>series.
– Peter Shor
Dec 16 at 16:21
Besides those two you note from Latin’s 5ᵗʰ-declension, other examples invariant in the plural because of already ending in unstressed /iːz/ (UK) or /iz/ (US) are Pekinese for the dog and Siamese for the cat. As far as I can discern, ᴀʟʟ -ese demonyms and logonyms ending in unstressed /iz/ strongly resist (block?) further /ǝz/ inflections, whether to make them plural or to make them possessive. Same with Mercedes being invariant, be it car make or woman’s name. That’s why I believe these all operate under some kind of untaught sound law.
– tchrist♦
Dec 16 at 17:34
add a comment |
Google finds around a dozen hits for "two achilles are", and only one for "two achilleses are". So I would say the consensus is that the plural of Achilles is Achilles.
However pluralizing achilles is so rare that I assume most people who do it aren't copying the plural form from things they've heard, but coming up with it de novo. So I would be very heistant to call achilleses wrong.
answered Dec 15 at 18:50
Peter Shor
61.6k5117220
2
Perhaps it's because words ending in unstressed /iz/ already "sound" plural: fillies, axis>axes, basis>bases, crisis>crises, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, gives me the willies.
– tchrist♦
Dec 15 at 19:03
@tchrist: that's probably why. And two additional words: species>species and series>series.
– Peter Shor
Dec 16 at 16:21
Besides those two you note from Latin’s 5ᵗʰ-declension, other examples invariant in the plural because of already ending in unstressed /iːz/ (UK) or /iz/ (US) are Pekinese for the dog and Siamese for the cat. As far as I can discern, ᴀʟʟ -ese demonyms and logonyms ending in unstressed /iz/ strongly resist (block?) further /ǝz/ inflections, whether to make them plural or to make them possessive. Same with Mercedes being invariant, be it car make or woman’s name. That’s why I believe these all operate under some kind of untaught sound law.
– tchrist♦
Dec 16 at 17:34
add a comment |
Google finds around a dozen hits for "two achilles are", and only one for "two achilleses are". So I would say the consensus is that the plural of Achilles is Achilles.
However pluralizing achilles is so rare that I assume most people who do it aren't copying the plural form from things they've heard, but coming up with it de novo. So I would be very heistant to call achilleses wrong.
answered Dec 15 at 18:50
Peter Shor
61.6k5117220
Google finds around a dozen hits for "two achilles are", and only one for "two achilleses are". So I would say the consensus is that the plural of Achilles is Achilles.
However pluralizing achilles is so rare that I assume most people who do it aren't copying the plural form from things they've heard, but coming up with it de novo. So I would be very heistant to call achilleses wrong.
answered Dec 15 at 18:50
Peter Shor
61.6k5117220
answered Dec 15 at 18:50
Peter Shor
61.6k5117220
answered Dec 15 at 18:50
Peter Shor
61.6k5117220
answered Dec 15 at 18:50
Peter Shor
61.6k5117220
61.6k5117220
2
Perhaps it's because words ending in unstressed /iz/ already "sound" plural: fillies, axis>axes, basis>bases, crisis>crises, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, gives me the willies.
– tchrist♦
Dec 15 at 19:03
@tchrist: that's probably why. And two additional words: species>species and series>series.
– Peter Shor
Dec 16 at 16:21
Besides those two you note from Latin’s 5ᵗʰ-declension, other examples invariant in the plural because of already ending in unstressed /iːz/ (UK) or /iz/ (US) are Pekinese for the dog and Siamese for the cat. As far as I can discern, ᴀʟʟ -ese demonyms and logonyms ending in unstressed /iz/ strongly resist (block?) further /ǝz/ inflections, whether to make them plural or to make them possessive. Same with Mercedes being invariant, be it car make or woman’s name. That’s why I believe these all operate under some kind of untaught sound law.
– tchrist♦
Dec 16 at 17:34
add a comment |
2
Perhaps it's because words ending in unstressed /iz/ already "sound" plural: fillies, axis>axes, basis>bases, crisis>crises, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, gives me the willies.
– tchrist♦
Dec 15 at 19:03
@tchrist: that's probably why. And two additional words: species>species and series>series.
– Peter Shor
Dec 16 at 16:21
Besides those two you note from Latin’s 5ᵗʰ-declension, other examples invariant in the plural because of already ending in unstressed /iːz/ (UK) or /iz/ (US) are Pekinese for the dog and Siamese for the cat. As far as I can discern, ᴀʟʟ -ese demonyms and logonyms ending in unstressed /iz/ strongly resist (block?) further /ǝz/ inflections, whether to make them plural or to make them possessive. Same with Mercedes being invariant, be it car make or woman’s name. That’s why I believe these all operate under some kind of untaught sound law.
– tchrist♦
Dec 16 at 17:34
2
2
Perhaps it's because words ending in unstressed /iz/ already "sound" plural: fillies, axis>axes, basis>bases, crisis>crises, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, gives me the willies.
– tchrist♦
Dec 15 at 19:03
Perhaps it's because words ending in unstressed /iz/ already "sound" plural: fillies, axis>axes, basis>bases, crisis>crises, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, gives me the willies.
– tchrist♦
Dec 15 at 19:03
@tchrist: that's probably why. And two additional words: species>species and series>series.
– Peter Shor
Dec 16 at 16:21
@tchrist: that's probably why. And two additional words: species>species and series>series.
– Peter Shor
Dec 16 at 16:21
Besides those two you note from Latin’s 5ᵗʰ-declension, other examples invariant in the plural because of already ending in unstressed /iːz/ (UK) or /iz/ (US) are Pekinese for the dog and Siamese for the cat. As far as I can discern, ᴀʟʟ -ese demonyms and logonyms ending in unstressed /iz/ strongly resist (block?) further /ǝz/ inflections, whether to make them plural or to make them possessive. Same with Mercedes being invariant, be it car make or woman’s name. That’s why I believe these all operate under some kind of untaught sound law.
– tchrist♦
Dec 16 at 17:34
Besides those two you note from Latin’s 5ᵗʰ-declension, other examples invariant in the plural because of already ending in unstressed /iːz/ (UK) or /iz/ (US) are Pekinese for the dog and Siamese for the cat. As far as I can discern, ᴀʟʟ -ese demonyms and logonyms ending in unstressed /iz/ strongly resist (block?) further /ǝz/ inflections, whether to make them plural or to make them possessive. Same with Mercedes being invariant, be it car make or woman’s name. That’s why I believe these all operate under some kind of untaught sound law.
– tchrist♦
Dec 16 at 17:34
add a comment |
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