Download Latin and Greek endings / plurals

Latin and Greek endings / plurals
singular
words ending in -us
words ending in -tus
plural
USUALLY
Latin masculine
singular – second
declension
Latin masculine
singular – fourth
declension e.g. status,
apparatus
-i
N.B. –ius becomes –ii
e.g. radii
SOMETIMES
Latin neuter
plural
-tus
In Latin the ‘u’ was
lengthened, but this does not
happen in English
N.B. the plural of virus is viruses, not virii! The plural of virus is not found in classical Latin
The plural of octopus is octopods: Greek -pous, -podos has plural -podes
words ending in –um Latin neuter singular
-a
e.g. pl. datum, bacterium =
data, bacteria
stadium = stadia
stratum = strata
curriculum = curricula
forum = fora
(forums also used)
referendum = referenda
(referendums also used)
vacuum = vacua
continuum = continua
spectrum = spectra
-era
e.g. pl. genus = genera,
pl. opus = opera
N.B. irregular plural of
femur = femora
words ending in –on
Greek neuter singular
words ending in -is
Latin or Greek singular
(masculine or
feminine)
-a
e.g pl. criterion = criteria,
decathlon = decathla
-es
e.g. pl. pelvis = pelves
crisis = crises
words ending in -a
EITHER
singular
Latin feminine singular
words ending in –a
OR
Latin or Greek neuter plural
plural
plural ends in -ae
e.g. pl. formula = formulae
formulas also seen (U.S.)
singular ends in –um (Latin) or –on (Greek)
bacteria
flagella
data
criteria
strata
bacterium
flagellum
datum
criterion
stratum
Greek neuter singular
plural ends in –ata
stigma
trauma
schema
stigmata
traumata (traumas also used)
schemata (but plural not used in IT – “XML
schema” often found)
miasmata
N.B. plural form is
often misused where
singular is required
words ending in -ma
OR
miasma
medical words ending in
-oma, e.g. myoma
Greek singular
(masculine or
feminine)
myomata
-ides or –ids
e.g. pl. mantis = mantids,
pl. arthritis = arthritides