EPTThe Plural of "Nexus" - Page 8
| Forum Index > SC2 General |
|
AncienTs
Japan227 Posts
| ||
|
MidKnight
Lithuania884 Posts
 | ||
|
Backpack
United States1776 Posts
On August 11 2010 09:01 MidKnight wrote: I'm quite sure that's an ingame joke, just like "terrible terrible damage" Or ya know, like I said. Neither character is an english major so they just say it however the hell they want. | ||
|
KillerPlague
United States1386 Posts
On August 11 2010 05:36 iEchoic wrote: To make a plural of any word you just add 'i' to it. I.e. colossi, nexi, sandwichi, etc. honestly lol'ed just go with nexi to be safe | ||
|
Karliath
United States2214 Posts
On August 11 2010 08:56 Nilrem wrote: Dictionaries are not all the same, time itself plays a role in regard to dictionaries. That is why there are always new versions coming out. Also, dictionaries do not always tell the whole truth. So the origins, much like pluralizing octopus, it really up to the reader (well writer). Also, does it matter if it is or is not an argument? It is something people tend to contend with. Think of the commentators, I would imagine that they would wish to choose the best type (if there is even a best). Oh I should have also added, even Latin has its share of exceptions and such. So not all Latin words ending with "us" end with "-i". Can we just agree that languages can be a pain and tend to be overly complicated? And also agree that for the most part, there are not 'correct' ways and it depends entirely on the person. Dictionaries are not all the same: True, but find me one that differs in this matter. Think about the commentators: I am thinking about the commentators. When SC2 gets big, I want them saying it correctly. There are not correct ways and it depends entirely on the person: Are you joking? HI, I is be called my friends used to say me Karliath. Is that correct to you then, since it can depend entirely on the person? Of course language is ever changing, but the fact of the matter is that the plural forms of nexus and colossus have already been defined in the English language. You can argue that they should be something else, but you cannot argue that they are not what they are at the moment. | ||
|
JamJoy
22 Posts
On August 11 2010 08:48 Nilrem wrote: So why the long drawn out response. Well, it is simply this. If you want to be proper, since colossus originated from 14c Greece, it would have colopodes [or guessing, colossopodes]. While I doubt people will pronounce it this way, we have to come to some sort of agreement. So pretty much it is this, since I doubt that most would use the plural from the Greeks (although I don't think i pluralized it correctly, but you get the idea), we ought to pronounce it the way we want to. My preference is Latin since I love Latin literature and I am also a philosopher (which should point me to 'podes' but no thanks). While others will prefer Colossuses or well, colossus'. It does not matter, there wont be a 'proper' way to pronounce it. So I am simply taking what I decided Colossus on and transferring it over to Nexus. Nexus originated from Latin, so I will use my favorite and well, the one that is correct in my opinion, and use Nexi (or well, Nexai as I pointed out earlier). We get colossus from Latin not Greek which is why one of the correct plural forms is colossi. The Latin influence of the word is Greek, but English adopted the Latin version of it. We get octopus from Greek which is why one of the correct plural forms is octopodes and not octopi (even though octopi is accepted). | ||
|
Karliath
United States2214 Posts
| ||
|
nam nam
Sweden4672 Posts
| ||
|
LegendaryZ
United States1583 Posts
On August 11 2010 09:10 nam nam wrote: It's a freaking alien building, who cares if the plural form exists in any dictionary or where it originated from. It matters from a commentary standpoint. Despite the fact that the game happens in an alien world/universe, everything is interpreted in English. As a caster or a commentator, I think it's important to know which plural forms are acceptable and which aren't if only to make them sound a bit more intelligent. It bothers me when I hear caster say "coloxen" about as much as when I hear someone refer to the Command Center as a Town Hall... Of course we know what they mean when they say Town Hall while showing a Command Center on the screen, but it just shows a lack of effort when they don't use the proper term. | ||
|
JamJoy
22 Posts
The only reason why octopi and platypi are included in dictionaries is because people are idiots and assume the words are Latin. | ||
|
Karliath
United States2214 Posts
"Nexus and Colossus are both English words. They both have properly defined, acceptable plural words. Look it up!" "Noun: colossus (plural colossuses or colossi) Noun: nexus (plural nexuses or nexus or nexûs)" "The plural of nexus in Latin is nexus, so the embarrassing attempts by wanna-be Internet intellectuals at sounding erudite by pulling "nexii" out of their asses is laughable. Nexuses, if anything. Or nexus. But not nexi, nor nexii." "The proper term is "nexuses" which is why they put it in the achievement. Neither of the characters are english majors and so they use bad grammar just like everyone else." "I think the English version of the plural (nexuses) and the Latin version (nexus) are both perfectly acceptable. Nexi isn't. Just makes you sound like an idiot." "I don't think I can find a single dictionary where "nexi" is a proper plural form of "nexus"..." "I don't understand why this is even an argument. Is it really that difficult to look in a dictionary?" Incorrect posts: "Blizzard is saying they're all correct and you can use which ever form you want." "Can we just agree that languages can be a pain and tend to be overly complicated? And also agree that for the most part, there are not 'correct' ways and it depends entirely on the person." "Nexus originated from Latin, so I will use my favorite" "nexi sounds right to me" | ||
|
nam nam
Sweden4672 Posts
On August 11 2010 09:15 LegendaryZ wrote: It matters from a commentary standpoint. Despite the fact that the game happens in an alien world/universe, everything is interpreted in English. As a caster or a commentator, I think it's important to know which plural forms are acceptable and which aren't if only to make them sound a bit more intelligent. It bothers me when I hear caster say "coloxen" about as much as when I hear someone refer to the Command Center as a Town Hall... Of course we know what they mean when they say Town Hall while showing a Command Center on the screen, but it just shows a lack of effort when they don't use the proper term. But you can't point towards a dictionary and say you have the answer. It's a name... for a building... that don't exist in real life. If people want to call it Nexi, who are you to say they are wrong? And it's NOT the same as calling a command center a town hall, totally different matters. | ||
|
Nilrem
United States3684 Posts
On August 11 2010 08:59 Karliath wrote: SERIOUSLY. WHY DON'T PEOPLE READ PREVIOUS POSTS. Colossus, the English word, is not Greek. It is English, because it is an English word. There is a different between being Greek, and originating from Greek. Colopodes, or colossopodes (why are you guessing anyways) is therefore incorrect. In fact, the plural form of the English word Colossus is in the dictionary. wow. "Even if you think you know the rules, there are still plenty of exceptions out there." That's why you look at the dictionary, no? Why do you spend your time trying to guess it out when the dictionary explains it in plain English. Now Nexus originated from Latin, with the plural being Nexus too. When it was brought into English, as we typically do, the -s sound was added. Therefore, it became Nexuses. However, the Latin spelling remains correct, as the DICTIONARY proves. It is either nexus or nexuses. However right nexi sounds, it is incorrect. "Nexus originated from Latin, so I will use my favorite and well, the one that is correct in my opinion" No offense, but what is correct in your opinion matters very little, as we are trying to, or were trying to, figure out the correct English "opinion." As far as octopus goes, octopuses and octopi are both correct in American English. In British English, octopodes is correct. Correct Post Is the dictionary the way it is now, the same as it was a few years ago, ten years ago, twenty, thirty? Words are organic, they change, they are manipulated and alter over time. There are a few inconstancies with what you have said. Octopus, the English word, is not Greek. It is English, because it is an English word. There is a different between being Greek, and originating from Greek. Octopodes is therefore incorrect. In fact, the plural form of the English word Octopuses is in the dictionary. wow. See what I did there? What you said in the beginning does not match up with what you said at the end about octopus. Why do they not match up? Well, the premise of your argument is that Colossus is an English word, therefore, it has an English ending. But here is the thing, Octopus is also the same, it is ALSO an English word. But wait, you just said all the three forms were correct, but how so? It really comes off as you being quite inconsistent with your argument. Look here, oktṓpous is the origin of Octopus. Can you guess, it is Greek. Because it is Greek in origin (oktṓpodes plural). That is where the English portion came from, so octopus and Octopodes. Makes sense right? But here is the thing. Colossus is derived from the Greek term Kolossus. While the plural of that would be colossal (feminine), Colosae, or Colosse. So as we can see, these are not English words, but Greek words. So, if you went back in time to the dictionary of 1700's, you would see that it was only Octopuses. But, since there was a movement, we also received octopusi and octopodes. Which you claim is correct, but that is merely because it is in the dictionary. But it wasn't originally in it. Are you getting the drift now? You can simply stick with "oh, it is in the dictionary" argument, which is fine, but is it quite weak. To me, I look to it as simply following the crowd, just like people use to believe Earth was flat. | ||
|
chemlab
3 Posts
I am not sure if this link is already posted but it seems JamJoy is right. | ||
|
Karliath
United States2214 Posts
On August 11 2010 09:15 LegendaryZ wrote: It matters from a commentary standpoint. Despite the fact that the game happens in an alien world/universe, everything is interpreted in English. As a caster or a commentator, I think it's important to know which plural forms are acceptable and which aren't if only to make them sound a bit more intelligent. It bothers me when I hear caster say "coloxen" about as much as when I hear someone refer to the Command Center as a Town Hall... Of course we know what they mean when they say Town Hall while showing a Command Center on the screen, but it just shows a lack of effort when they don't use the proper term. Exactly. When Starcraft 2 gets bigger, the commentators will need a unified manner of calling things. Our community will just seem foolish if the most prestigious commentators can't get things like plurals correct. How many times have commentators said it the wrong way so far? "Here comes one colossi." How many times have commentators said, "And here come[] the five colossi, colossus, ugh I don't know. anyways, here they come..." I'm not saying that commentators need to have perfect grammar, but there is a difference between "common grammar" and grammar that is just plain wrong. Especially when it comes to the game they are talking about, they should be getting it right. | ||
|
LegendaryZ
United States1583 Posts
On August 11 2010 09:20 nam nam wrote: But you can't point towards a dictionary and say you have the answer. It's a name... for a building... that don't exist in real life. If people want to call it Nexi, who are you to say they are wrong? And it's NOT the same as calling a command center a town hall, totally different matters. If you haven't noticed, the building names in Starcraft are descriptive. They're not proper nouns. A Hatchery is so named because it's a hatchery. A Command Center is so named because it's supposed to be the center from which you command. A Gateway is referred to as such because it's a gateway through which Protoss warriors travel from their home to the battleground. Because the names are descriptive, there are correct and incorrect ways to use them in sentences and pluralize them. If I ran around posting "build multiple command centi" people would be like "WTF?" and call me an idiot. The fact that the word is the name of an in-game unit in an alien universe wouldn't really be much of an argument for me to lean on. | ||
|
Mikilatov
United States3897 Posts
How are some of you even thinking about using the vocabulary of outlaw/hillbilly JIM RAYNOR in DIALOGUE to suggest that one form or another is correct? That's like going down the street and asking hillbilly hank how to spell something and then accepting it as law. Like he knows, or gives a damn, whether or not he's saying the proper form of 'Nexus' plural. He's too busy being a badass to care about such things, and if you were to correct him, he'd probably just smack you in the face. | ||
|
LegendaryZ
United States1583 Posts
On August 11 2010 09:31 Mikilatov wrote: This thread is hilarious, here's my two-cents. How are some of you even thinking about using the vocabulary of outlaw/hillbilly JIM RAYNOR in DIALOGUE to suggest that one form or another is correct? That's like going down the street and asking hillbilly hank how to spell something and then accepting it as law. Like he knows, or gives a damn, whether or not he's saying the proper form of 'Nexus' plural. He's too busy being a badass to care about such things, and if you were to correct him, he'd probably just smack you in the face. I don't think we're really talking about Raynor at this point... Bottom line: English is a bullshit language.. People born in English-speaking countries can barely speak it properly. It's a wonder how anyone manages to pick it up as a second language... -_- | ||
|
jnay
Canada107 Posts
| ||
|
Nilrem
United States3684 Posts
| ||
| ||
