What is the plural form of the word "cactus"?
Cactus has a Latin root that derives from the plural cacti, which makes cacti the technically proper plural spelling. If you want to stay on the right side of the rulebook, you can refer to more than one cactus as cacti.
At the same time, as cactus was assimilated into English, it inevitably received English treatment, which often pluralizes a word by adding s or es. As a result, cactuses became an accepted plural as well
More Info:
www.grammarbook.com
What are your thoughts on this subject?
13 Comments
Ron Gosling
Fish or fishes.
JRW
That high school Latin strikes again!
elizawheeler
I don't care what anybody says, the plural of octopus is octopi. You can't just change your mind and expect old people to go along LOL.
Edie Koller
Norman Cummins, HA HA HA that is hilarious Norman.
Patrick T
So in the explination the writer states that cactuses is an acceptable answer also. So he submitted a question he admits has two answers . Where were the reviewers with this. I have started hitting the "report" button when I see questions like this. I doubt that helps though.
Char
Denise Currie, yep their you are
catmom
I knew this from The Big Bang Theory. Very funny & informative show.
earlepg
earlepg, 8.1% so far have been deprived of their points for this question?
earlepg
Charles Strader, This clone doesn't seem to read well since the fact that cactuses is also acceptable is spelled out in the last sentense of his own explanation.
Special Patrol Group
Cactuses is also correct.
Stevie G
The plural of cactus is cacti or cactuses.
Most cacti live in habitats subject to at least some drought.
The great majority of cactuses have no visible leaves.
The noun cactus has a Latin root, which is the derivation of the plural cacti. Through common usage, cactuses (which adheres to the standard rules for forming plurals) is also acceptable.
🅰️Antoinette🅱️
3rd question today regarding Cacti!🌵
Denise Currie
Clone Alert!!! Another one on the loose