this post was submitted on 23 Mar 2025
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🐙 octopodes 🐙 (lemmy.dbzer0.com)
submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by fossilesque@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/science_memes@mander.xyz
 
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[–] 474D@lemmy.world 20 points 3 months ago (24 children)

*octopodes (yes I know octopuses is also correct but the technically correct version sounds cooler)

[–] Zachariah@lemmy.world 13 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (3 children)

Depends on the language. Current standardized American English overwhelmingly list adds -s/-es to make a plural noun. So “octopuses” would be technically correct with “octopodes” and “octopi” also accepted.

If you’re writing Latin, you’d want octopi instead. If you’re writing Greek: octopodes.

But English is a democratic language, so feel free to vote often and early by using your preferred version.

[–] RBridger@lemmygrad.ml 0 points 3 months ago

To be pedantic, octopi comes from the misconception that octopus is a second-declension noun in Latin when it's actually a third-declension noun. If you were writing Latin, you'd still want octopodes

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