[NTLUG:Discuss] Re: Multiple Linux'es (Was: Umm, I'm in need. ..)

[Richard Cobbe]

Lo, on Friday, 25 August, 2000, Kyle_Davenport at compusa.com did write:

> 
> 
> heh, you're a lawyer; you ought to know the plural of "ix" is "ices".
> Several Linices.

(I'm posting this just *KNOWING* that we're moving off-topic.)

True, the (classical) plural of -ix is -ices.  Doesn't say much about
Linux, though.
   ^
Off-hand, I can't think of any Latin words which end in -ux in the
singular, but then my Latin vocabulary isn't as strong as it used to be.
(Anyone who's studied Latin more recently care to comment?)

My guess, based on what little I know of Indo-European historical
linguistics, is that it'd probably be Linuces.  Greek supports this: the
word for herald is kerux, plural kerukes.  (Greek `k' == Latin `c'; both
were (probably) pronounced, roughly, as the consonant in `cook'.)

All of this assumes, of course, that we'd want to use the classical plural
form.  As another poster pointed out, those seem to be moving out of
fashion somewhat---although I always still write, and usually say,
`indices'.  But then, I'm a classical language freak (just in case that
hadn't become apparent already <grin>).

Richard