"Alumni" is plural

[benbk]

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"Alumni" is plural, so why do people use it as if it were singular?

Ben
UW-Madison alumnus

 

[benbk]

BenBK

Just bumping so I can find my threads later. Search: benbk

 

[morganlefay]

if you click on your username and then click "find more posts by (your username)" you can find all your threads

 

[delchrys]

The plural of masculine singular alumnus is alumni; the plural of feminine singular alumna is alumnae. In traditional Latin, the masculine plural form, alumni, could include both genders. This does not go over well with some female alums. We note, furthermore, that Vassar College, which now has both, has lists of alumni and alumnae. Hartford College for Women, we assume, has only alumnae. In its publication style manual, Wesleyan University approves of alumni/ae. The genderless graduate and the truncated and informal alum have much to commend them.

 

[Blade28]

Yeah, don't get us Latin people started on the whole alumnus vs. alumni, alumna vs. alumnae issue. (And the way people pronounce "alumni"? argh! 🙂 ) Should be pronounced alum-nee, not alum-nye.

But I think most people don't care.

 

[benbk]

Yeah, don't get us Latin people started on the whole alumnus vs. alumni, alumna vs. alumnae issue. (And the way people pronounce "alumni"? argh! 🙂 ) Should be pronounced alum-nee, not alum-nye.

But I think most people don't care.

You're the worst! Nobody speaks Latin any more, so I argue that the phonetics are completely arbitrary.

 

[benbk]

The plural of masculine singular alumnus is alumni; the plural of feminine singular alumna is alumnae. In traditional Latin, the masculine plural form, alumni, could include both genders. This does not go over well with some female alums. We note, furthermore, that Vassar College, which now has both, has lists of alumni and alumnae. Hartford College for Women, we assume, has only alumnae. In its publication style manual, Wesleyan University approves of alumni/ae. The genderless graduate and the truncated and informal alum have much to commend them.

I think that knowledge is fairly common for he who actually becomes an alumnus. I think we're just lazy.

Nevertheless, thanks for the lesson (seriously, I love this stuff and love telling other people about it so they hate me)!

Ben

 

[IndyZX]

"Alumni" is plural, so why do people use it as if it were singular?

Ben
UW-Madison alumnus

At some point, you need to make the distinction between speaking English and Latin. The difference between Alumni/Alumnus is fairly understood by the college educated masses, but other examples come up where smartasses try to correct you when you say stadiums (stadii), etc.

 

[Rippey]

another attack by the grammar police, i see 🙄 🙄

 

[InductionAgent]

Other frequent offenders of overextended use of plural that annoy me: alveoli, vertebrae

These are particularly annoying to me since it's usually doctors who making the mistake, not the lay public.

I'm also annoyed by HCPs who pronounce larynx as "larnix." In my anatomy lab, the GTA was savvy enough to make 2 points of the practical based on the ability (or lack thereof) to correctly pronounce "larynx" or "pharynx." Sad to say, some of my classmates lost 2 points on that.

 

[Iwy Em Hotep]

This bugs me too, but I'm willing to cut people some slack on "data" and "media."

Want to endear yourself to me? Use "formulae." 😀