690

mimic (mander.xyz)

submitted 7 months ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to c/science_memes@mander.xyz

24 comments fedilink hide all child comments

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[-] qjkxbmwvz@startrek.website 12 points 7 months ago

As always, it depends on who you ask:

https://web.archive.org/web/20190422115828/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/octopus

https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2022/02/01/plural-octopus

https://brians.wsu.edu/2016/05/19/octopi/

[-] IMongoose@lemmy.world 7 points 7 months ago

Right, when there is this much controversy over a plural there will never be a consensus, especially when it doesn't actually matter. The truth is that as long as people understand what you mean it doesn't matter what you use.

[-] littlebluespark@lemmy.world 7 points 7 months ago

Vernacular morphology is one thing, but in a scientific mode, this is lazy AF.

[-] IMongoose@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Mountain lions have like 30 different names and no one gets into entomology fights about them. If there is no scientific standard name like birds have use whatever makes the most sense to you or your audience.

[-] littlebluespark@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago

Thanks for proving my point.

I completely agree that no one's likely to get into "entomology" fights over mountain lions' scientific minutiae... because they're not fucking insects. 🤦🏽‍♂️

[-] IMongoose@lemmy.world -1 points 7 months ago

I used the wrong word and you had no idea what I was talking about, you got me. Debating a word over Greek vs Latin origin on what suffix to use in the English language, which is always consistent and true to its root words, is worthy of such pedantry. I concede.