Octopus - Merriam-Webster Ask the Editor

Kory Stamper, an Associate Editor at Merriam-Webster, talks about the plural version of octopus. See more videos at http://www.merriam-webster.com/video/...

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  Education

[RockBoulevardz]

Slob was not the word I was expecting you to say.

[Damarcast]

If it is between some schmuck from youtube and an editor at merriam-webster, I'm not picking you.

[madwilliamflint]

Octopedes is too fun to say, so I am now fully prepared to deliver this schpeel at a moment's notice, in an English accent.

[Dan Toren]

From a friend: If you're sticking with the Greek, it is "octopodes" (masculine nominative plural third declension noun). When Latin borrows words from Greek, it is a FOURTH declension noun, and not a SECOND declension noun. The Latin plural form of "octopus" is therefore "octopus" (e.g.: "Hey, look at all of those octopus!"). If you insist on sticking with English, then it is just a traditional "octopuses."

[Phillip Hudson]

Thank you for taking 2 minutes of my time with a video that, were it written down, would have taken me about 10 seconds to read!

[Everfalling]

I've always heard it pronounced "ok-tow-POdes" and not "ok-TOP-oh-dees"

[Frungi]

According to my computer’s Oxford Dictionary, “octopus” is ultimately from the Greek “ὀκτώπους” (oktōpous), and a bit of Google research shows that Linnaeus Latinized the Greek. That dictionary also says the Latin pluralization is incorrect. Sorry, you’ve got at least two dictionaries against you.

[Valkes]

I. . . I think I love her. 

[Geetar2112]

I´m sorry..."a BUNCH of Latin based words..." surely not.

[Sharpless512]

reminds me of Robin from HIMYM

[Quintopex]

Kory Stamper's picture should appear in the Mirriam-Webster dictionary next to the word "adorable".

[Ned Nickerson]

"Look at the octopus and its OCTOPUS FRIENDS."