Exploring Irregular and Foreign Plural Nouns

The video discusses foreign plurals in English, focusing on words borrowed from Latin and Greek. It explains the difference between informal and formal plural usage, providing examples like 'funguses' vs. 'fungi' and 'cactuses' vs. 'cacti'. The video outlines six common pluralization rules for Latin and Greek words, such as 'larvae' to 'larvae' and 'index' to 'indices'. It concludes with practical advice, encouraging viewers to use regular plurals when unsure and to consult resources for clarification.

What are foreign plurals?

• Words borrowed from other languages with unique plural forms

• Words that have the same singular and plural forms

• Words that are always used in the plural form

• Words that change their meaning when pluralized

Which of the following is an example of a word borrowed from Latin?

• Phenomenon

• Fungus

• Thesis

• Cactus

In informal contexts, which plural form is acceptable for 'fungus'?

• Fungis

• Fungae

• Fungi

• Funguses

What is the formal plural of 'cactus'?

• Cactis

• Cactae

• Cacti

• Cactuses

What is the Latin plural form of 'larva'?

• Larvas

• Larves

• Larvae

• Larvi

How does the plural form of 'fungus' change in Latin?

• Fungis

• Fungi

• Fungae

• Funguses

What is the plural form of 'datum' in Latin?

• Datumes

• Data

• Datums

• Datumses

What is the Greek plural form of 'thesis'?

• Thesises

• Thesae

• Thesi

• Theses

Which of the following is the correct plural form of 'phenomenon'?

• Phenomenis

• Phenomenae

• Phenomena

• Phenomenons

What should you do if you are unsure of a word's plural form?

• Avoid using the word

• Always use the Latin or Greek plural

• Consult a dictionary immediately

• Use a regular plural by adding 's'