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Guest
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| Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2004 8:47 pm
Post subject: Geniuses or genii |
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| Which seems more natural/correct/less highfalutin' ? |
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Steve MacGregor
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2004 8:56 pm
Post subject: Re: Geniuses or genii |
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<drewdr@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:kqlds0d3gmgtsopmnu63eqoi815olcm2oh@4ax.com...
| Quote: | Geniuses or genii?
Which seems more natural/correct/less highfalutin'?
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To me, "genii" sounds more natural, and more correct, and "geniuses"
sounds less highfaluting.
Choose which one you will use, depending on your own criterion.
--
Steve |
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Donna Richoux
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2004 9:42 pm
Post subject: Re: Geniuses or genii |
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<drewdr@yahoo.com> wrote:
| Quote: | Which seems more natural/correct/less highfalutin' ?
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If I ever saw "genii," I would assume is the plural of "genie" (jinn,
jinni, djinn, djinni).
--
Best -- Donna Richoux |
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Steve MacGregor
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2004 9:51 pm
Post subject: Re: Geniuses or genii |
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"Donna Richoux" <trio@euronet.nl> wrote in message
news:1gp3nit.1tba9hy1xpxjz5N%trio@euronet.nl...
| Quote: | If I ever saw "genii," I would assume is the plural of "genie" (jinn,
jinni, djinn, djinni).
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Why? Do you know any words that form their plurals that way?
--
Steve |
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perchprism
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2004 9:52 pm
Post subject: Re: Geniuses or genii |
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"Steve MacGregor" <s_t_macgregor@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:_RAxd.3204$ql2.914@okepread04...
| Quote: | drewdr@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:kqlds0d3gmgtsopmnu63eqoi815olcm2oh@4ax.com...
Geniuses or genii?
Which seems more natural/correct/less highfalutin'?
To me, "genii" sounds more natural, and more correct, and "geniuses"
sounds less highfaluting.
Choose which one you will use, depending on your own criterion.
|
That's funny--I think "geniuses" is the only form to use, if only because
"genii" is so noticeable and therefore distracting. Anyway, how are you
supposed to pronounce it? JEE-nee-ee (Hawaiian), JEE-niy-iy (Oy!),
JEE-nee-iy (wrong). To use it to ask too much of the poor reader, who has
enough obstacles in his way already.
--
Perchprism
(southern New Jersey, near Philadelphia) |
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Donna Richoux
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2004 10:04 pm
Post subject: Re: Geniuses or genii |
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Steve MacGregor <s_t_macgregor@yahoo.com> wrote:
| Quote: | "Donna Richoux" <trio@euronet.nl> wrote in message
news:1gp3nit.1tba9hy1xpxjz5N%trio@euronet.nl...
If I ever saw "genii," I would assume is the plural of "genie" (jinn,
jinni, djinn, djinni).
Why? Do you know any words that form their plurals that way?
|
Well, "genie" for one. M-W:
Main Entry: geˇnie
Inflected Form(s): plural geˇnies also geˇnii
--
Best -- Donna Richoux |
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Steve MacGregor
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2004 10:09 pm
Post subject: Re: Geniuses or genii |
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"Donna Richoux" <trio@euronet.nl> wrote in message
news:1gp3okg.1le2vfz16a08rvN%trio@euronet.nl...
| Quote: | Do you know any words that form their plurals that way?
Well, "genie" for one. M-W:
Main Entry: geˇnie
Inflected Form(s): plural geˇnies also geˇnii
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Well. That's certainly weird. But then, I usually spell the singular
as "jinni", and the pulral as "jinn".
--
Steve |
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Adrian Bailey
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2004 10:51 pm
Post subject: Re: Geniuses or genii |
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"perchprism" <rat@atat.net> wrote in message
news:1pudnR3VgqK9elvcRVn-sw@comcast.com...
| Quote: |
"Steve MacGregor" <s_t_macgregor@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:_RAxd.3204$ql2.914@okepread04...
drewdr@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:kqlds0d3gmgtsopmnu63eqoi815olcm2oh@4ax.com...
Geniuses or genii?
Which seems more natural/correct/less highfalutin'?
To me, "genii" sounds more natural, and more correct, and "geniuses"
sounds less highfaluting.
Choose which one you will use, depending on your own criterion.
That's funny--I think "geniuses" is the only form to use, if only because
"genii" is so noticeable and therefore distracting. Anyway, how are you
supposed to pronounce it? JEE-nee-ee (Hawaiian), JEE-niy-iy (Oy!),
JEE-nee-iy (wrong). To use it to ask too much of the poor reader, who has
enough obstacles in his way already.
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I agree. Eschew all Latin plurals.
Adrian |
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Lars Eighner
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:01 pm
Post subject: Re: Geniuses or genii |
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In our last episode,
<kqlds0d3gmgtsopmnu63eqoi815olcm2oh@4ax.com>, the lovely and
talented drewdr@yahoo.com broadcast on alt.usage.english:
| Quote: | Which seems more natural/correct/less highfalutin' ?
|
The question should be, which is correct for your meaning.
"Geniuses" is the plural when you mean several very smart
persons. "Genii" is the plural when you mean sever spirits,
sprites, etc.
--
Lars Eighner eighner@io.com http://www.io.com/~eighner/
Turn pimp, flatterer, quack, lawyer, parson, be chaplain to an atheist, or
stallion to an old woman, anything but a poet; for a poet is worse, more
servile, timorous and fawning than any I have named. --William Congreve |
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Guest
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| Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:12 pm
Post subject: Re: Geniuses or genii |
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On Mon, 20 Dec 2004 10:01:08 -0600, Lars Eighner <eighner@io.com>
wrote:
| Quote: | In our last episode,
kqlds0d3gmgtsopmnu63eqoi815olcm2oh@4ax.com>, the lovely and
talented drewdr@yahoo.com broadcast on alt.usage.english:
Which seems more natural/correct/less highfalutin' ?
The question should be, which is correct for your meaning.
"Geniuses" is the plural when you mean several very smart
persons. "Genii" is the plural when you mean sever spirits,
sprites, etc.
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huh ?
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=genii |
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R H Draney
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:48 pm
Post subject: Re: Geniuses or genii |
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Adrian Bailey filted:
| Quote: |
"perchprism" <rat@atat.net> wrote in message
news:1pudnR3VgqK9elvcRVn-sw@comcast.com...
That's funny--I think "geniuses" is the only form to use, if only because
"genii" is so noticeable and therefore distracting. Anyway, how are you
supposed to pronounce it? JEE-nee-ee (Hawaiian), JEE-niy-iy (Oy!),
JEE-nee-iy (wrong). To use it to ask too much of the poor reader, who has
enough obstacles in his way already.
I agree. Eschew all Latin plurals.
|
Last night on "The Simpsons", Mr Burns announced that he was about to hand out
the annual holiday "boni" (pronounced "bone-eye")....r |
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Martin Ambuhl
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:57 pm
Post subject: Re: Geniuses or genii |
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drewdr@yahoo.com wrote:
| Quote: | Which seems more natural/correct/less highfalutin' ?
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The plural of "genius," meaning an exceptionally intelligent person or
an exceptional intellect, is "geniuses."
The plural of "genius," meaning the spirit of a person, place, nation,
period, etc., is "genii."
The senses are distinct. It is not a question of which plural is more
or less natural or more or less highfalutin. |
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Donna Richoux
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2004 12:12 am
Post subject: Re: Geniuses or genii |
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<drewdr@yahoo.com> wrote:
So follow the link that page gives you (see the word "genius" is blue
and underlined?), and go down to number four, where it says "genii".
(Maybe these links aren't always blue, depending on your browser.)
--
Best -- Donna Richoux |
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John Dean
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2004 12:36 am
Post subject: Re: Geniuses or genii |
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Donna Richoux wrote:
| Quote: | Steve MacGregor <s_t_macgregor@yahoo.com> wrote:
"Donna Richoux" <trio@euronet.nl> wrote in message
news:1gp3nit.1tba9hy1xpxjz5N%trio@euronet.nl...
If I ever saw "genii," I would assume is the plural of "genie"
(jinn, jinni, djinn, djinni).
Why? Do you know any words that form their plurals that way?
Well, "genie" for one. M-W:
Main Entry: geˇnie
Inflected Form(s): plural geˇnies also geˇnii
|
Known to OED:
"b. A jinnee; one of the sprites or goblins of Arabian demonology.
[The word génie was adopted by the Fr. translators of the Arabian
Nights as the rendering of the Arab. word which it resembled in sound
and in sense. In Eng. genie has been commonly used in the sing. and
genii (see genius 2) in the plural.] "
In the original Arabic, the single syllable form denoted the plural -
jinn, djinn etc - and the two-syllable form the singular - djinnee,
jinnee, genie and so on.
--
John Dean
Oxford |
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Lars Eighner
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2004 2:03 am
Post subject: Re: Geniuses or genii |
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In our last episode,
<ncuds0tosh43uudh20i20pfluqus8qoqhl@4ax.com>, the lovely and
talented drewdr@yahoo.com broadcast on alt.usage.english:
| Quote: | On Mon, 20 Dec 2004 10:01:08 -0600, Lars Eighner <eighner@io.com
wrote:
In our last episode,
kqlds0d3gmgtsopmnu63eqoi815olcm2oh@4ax.com>, the lovely and
talented drewdr@yahoo.com broadcast on alt.usage.english:
Which seems more natural/correct/less highfalutin' ?
The question should be, which is correct for your meaning.
"Geniuses" is the plural when you mean several very smart
persons. "Genii" is the plural when you mean sever spirits,
sprites, etc.
huh ?
|
Sorry, that should have been "several spirits."
| Quote: | http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=genii
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And the point of that would be?
--
Lars Eighner eighner@io.com http://www.io.com/~eighner/
Housework can't kill you, but why take a chance? --Phyllis Diller |
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