this post was submitted on 23 Mar 2025
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🐙 octopodes 🐙 (lemmy.dbzer0.com)
submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by fossilesque@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/science_memes@mander.xyz
 
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[–] Zachariah@lemmy.world 13 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (3 children)

Depends on the language. Current standardized American English overwhelmingly list adds -s/-es to make a plural noun. So “octopuses” would be technically correct with “octopodes” and “octopi” also accepted.

If you’re writing Latin, you’d want octopi instead. If you’re writing Greek: octopodes.

But English is a democratic language, so feel free to vote often and early by using your preferred version.

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 1 month ago

at this point i feel the only sensible answer is to use the most nonsensical form that still sounds normal

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

Octothingies is my favorite

[–] RBridger@lemmygrad.ml 0 points 1 month ago

To be pedantic, octopi comes from the misconception that octopus is a second-declension noun in Latin when it's actually a third-declension noun. If you were writing Latin, you'd still want octopodes