Is Octopi the Correct Plural of Octopus?

**Burstsovenergy24** · Apr 08, '04, 9:16pm

Is it octopusses or octopuses?

[Staff Edit: Adding the Merriam-Webster video at the top of this thread and sticking it - "D"]

**joel_ang** · Apr 08, '04, 9:39pm

Its octopuses, at least thats how I write it :) .

Theres sepia bandensis and latimanus........

**joel_ang** · Apr 08, '04, 9:39pm

Its octopuses, at least thats how I write it :) .

Theres sepia bandensis and latimanus........

**Jean** · Apr 09, '04, 12:23am

Hmmmm I go for 1 octopus, 2 octopus, 3 octopus............! Good for arguments on a cold winters evening

J

**NickA5582** · Apr 09, '04, 1:07am

Originally Posted by Burstsovenergy24

Is it octopusses or octopuses? :?

I think it's octopi, but it can also be just octopus, octopods, octopoids, octopodes, octopussies, etc etc. I just use octopus.

to TONMO, Henlar!

**Burstsovenergy24** · Apr 09, '04, 1:08am

I think the most correct form is octopods. :) But I use octopuses generally. :)

**Steve O'Shea** · Apr 09, '04, 1:43am

Originally Posted by Andy Lister

O. vulgaris!!!!! Goooooood little octo!
The plural as far as I can tell is Octopusses because it if from the greek meaning foot mouthed or something similar (They have their feet round their mouths) and the greeks didn't have plurals with ii at the end like it is in latin.

Andy, the best explanation I've heard thus far. I'd never given this consideration until the matter was raised many months ago (this is, to a certain extent, thread or at the very least subject duplication). It is covered somewhere online, and I think you are correct in the spelling 'octopusses' - though for all I know on the subject matter I could be speaking through a hole in my head (I depend on the likes of you folk to ciorrect me in such matters).
O

**myopsida** · Apr 09, '04, 6:12am

Actually, "octopusses" is not really a proper pluralization of octopus, since the word is not Latin (if it was it would be "octopi") but Latinized Greek. If you want to be pedantic, it should be pluralized as "octopodes."

**Burstsovenergy24** · Apr 09, '04, 10:26am

Originally Posted by Jean

Good for arguments on a cold winters evening

J

Yes, I love those.

**Nancy** · Apr 09, '04, 11:54am

Actually, you can find an answer to this question.

The preferred plural of octopus in English is actually octopuses (one "s"), at least in the US.

I checked in the current edition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. This is based on current usage.

I need to check elsewhere (in the OED) for UK preferences.

Nancy

**Architeuthis** · Apr 10, '04, 6:22pm

I believe the plural form most commonly used would be octopuses, but I prefer octopi.

**Steve O'Shea** · Apr 11, '04, 1:54am

Looks like I was speaking through a hole in my head.

I prefer squid 8)

**joel_ang** · Apr 11, '04, 11:55am

Here's the British version, which apparently is the same

Definition
octopus
noun [C] plural octopuses or octopi
a sea creature with a soft oval body and eight tentacles (= long arm-like parts)

**Darwinishungry** · Oct 17, '04, 2:39am

What exactly is the plural form of octopus? I've heard octopusES and octoPI from many different places. At m-w.com and dictionary.com, they have both down as pl. forms. They both can't be right, can they?

-DIH

**Cephkid** · Oct 17, '04, 2:46am

YES THEY ARE!

"Entirely to many plural names" is even on their resume! :P
Octopi
Octopuses
Octopods
Octopus
etc...

**cthulhu77** · Oct 17, '04, 5:46am

Yep, one of those words that has numerous spellings...cephkid is correct...either one is just fine. There does seem to be a leaning in scientific papers to use "octopi" or "octopii" recently...
greg

**Melissa** · Oct 17, '04, 11:17am

Linguistic sticklers will tell you that it should be octopoda, in keeping with the Greek origin of the word. The plural i or ii is from Latin. Scientific names are often based on Latin words, so this may be why scientists use it in the stuff Greg reads. You can confidently say octopuses, too. Or you can skip it entirely and refer to "all members of the genus Octopus."

Melissa

**Armstrong** · Oct 17, '04, 12:00pm

Melissa's right, infact...OCTOPI is the false plural for Octopus.

Although it is often supposed that octopi is the 'correct' plural of octopus, and it has been in use for longer than the usual Anglicized plural octopuses, it in fact originates as an error. Octopus is not a simple Latin word of the second declension, but a Latinized form of the Greek word oktopous, and its 'correct' plural would logically be octopodes.