Cactus plural

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peterb
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Re: Cactus plural

Post by peterb »

the requirements of all the Lithopses would then be "the Lithopses' requirements" pronounced "lithopsezizz"

:-)

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daiv
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Re: Cactus plural

Post by daiv »

Works for me!
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Peterthecactusguy
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Re: Cactus plural

Post by Peterthecactusguy »

Euphorbiae is the correct plural for Euphorbia. ;) As for cactus plural is cacti. As for PeterB's rule of the they, I refuse to write or type out his or her every time. As in sentences like "May all the students turn in their papers. (it's supposed to be his or her, BUT Isn't it kinda obvious there are mixed genders for students? I hate some of the rules of grammar. Esp when it becomes awkward in conversation. :)
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iann
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Re: Cactus plural

Post by iann »

Lithops is singular, plural, and collective :) Oh, and even half a Lithops is still a Lithops. Since the "s" is part of the word rather than a plural "affectation", the possessive should be Lithops's but I don't allow my Lithops any possessions so this has never come up in conversation.
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Re: Cactus plural

Post by Tony »

:happy3:
Forget the dog...Beware of the plants!!!

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daiv
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Re: Cactus plural

Post by daiv »

iann wrote: the possessive should be Lithops's but I don't allow my Lithops any possessions so this has never come up in conversation.
Ian, I would imagine they DO possess things. Such as flowers, patterns, roots, leaves, etc. You must talk about these features at some point. Example: "My Lithops's flowers are all closed right now due to the cold weather." Or do you get around this by saying "The flowers on my Lithops...."? :P
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Re: Cactus plural

Post by iann »

My flowers. All mine!
Last edited by iann on Tue Jan 29, 2013 4:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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majcka
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Re: Cactus plural

Post by majcka »

daiv wrote:
iann wrote: the possessive should be Lithops's but I don't allow my Lithops any possessions so this has never come up in conversation.
Ian, I would imagine they DO possess things. Such as flowers, patterns, roots, leaves, etc. You must talk about these features at some point. Example: "My Lithops's flowers are all closed right now due to the cold weather." Or do you get around this by saying "The flowers on my Lithops...."? :P
See???? I have no problem with Litops or Litops's flowers. I don't have any (Litops). Image
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DaveW
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Re: Cactus plural

Post by DaveW »

I always go by the simple rule "if you can't say cactuses you can't say cacti"! You can't say "I have a cactuses" so you can't say "I have a cacti" or "I have a cactuses collection" so not "I have a cacti collection". Agreed languages change over time, but not that quick.

One thing that bugs me is the American use of momentarily, as with Bloomberg TV saying "we will be back momentarily" when they mean "back in a moment". Back momentarily to me as an Englishman would mean being back for a fleeting moment in time then gone again? :lol:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_En ... uted_usage" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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majcka
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Re: Cactus plural

Post by majcka »

DaveW wrote: You can't say "I have a cactuses" so you can't say "I have a cacti"
This seem logical to me. What does "A" have to do with plural???? I think we did learn in 5th grade of elementary school that an "A" is a case in singular. :D But since languages change through time, that could be different too. :-k
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peterb
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Re: Cactus plural

Post by peterb »

The real question: what is the collective noun for a large group of cacti?

I mean, if we can have a shrewdness of apes and a glaring of cats, can we not have something like a laceration of cacti? A drool of cacti? Something.

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Rod Smith
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Re: Cactus plural

Post by Rod Smith »

A spination of cacti?
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Peterthecactusguy
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Re: Cactus plural

Post by Peterthecactusguy »

lol well aren't cacti in patches? IE The Cholla Patch? .. if anyone ever gets to drive down New River Rd through New River (on the East side of I-17 Not the side that goes to Lake Pleasant) There is a bend in the road and a house there has a sign that says "The Cholla Patch" with a million cholla around it. For Saguaros they are in Forests. ;) The rest.. well I dont know..
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Re: Cactus plural

Post by daiv »

Yes, patches on your clothes after you visit the Cholla patch!
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DaveW
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Re: Cactus plural

Post by DaveW »

Even the English don't speak English. :lol: I remember when one of the soccer pundits from up north on UK TV said "We've went up to Liverpool".

http://www.englishforums.com/English/Ha ... j/post.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.wewriteforyou.com/Blog/?p=209" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Perhaps I should have read this first? :D

http://www.stevenjwalley.com/2005/11/sc ... -boss.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Still I suppose we all consider the language our area speaks to be correct and all others wrong:-

http://public.oed.com/aspects-of-englis ... -overview/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The truth probably is that words move on but we don't and stick to the ones we are taught. Therefore when we die it is the next generations usage of words then become the norm. As said with Latin on a previous occasion, I doubt so called Latin scholars and teachers today speak it the same as teachers of Latin would have done a few centuries ago.
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