what is the plural for virus?

[MegaloManiaK]

Originally posted by: her209
viruses or virii or both?

Time Warner and Aol.

 

[Turkish]

virii

 

[batmang]

virii sounds alot cooler then saying viruses. weeee.

 

[LanEvoVI]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: ATLien247 I think that "virus" is an English word, not a Latin word. So the plural should be "viruses". If it were a Latin word, then because it is gender-neutral, the plural should be "vira". Can someone else who has taken Latin verify this?

I have taken Latin and I can verify that you are wrong. If it was a Latin word, the plural would be "viri". Replace the us with an i to make Latin plural. If it was virum it would be vira. It would only be "virii" if the singular was "virius". I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE SAY "VIRII". Viri is acceptable because it does look like a Latin word.

I've taken Latin as well, and I agree. Another interesting thing to note is that if you are going by Latin, the word "data" is plural. The singular is "datum."

For example, a proper sentence should read:

"The data are bad."

lol...but that just sounds retarded.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: LanEvoVI

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: ATLien247 I think that "virus" is an English word, not a Latin word. So the plural should be "viruses". If it were a Latin word, then because it is gender-neutral, the plural should be "vira". Can someone else who has taken Latin verify this?

I have taken Latin and I can verify that you are wrong. If it was a Latin word, the plural would be "viri". Replace the us with an i to make Latin plural. If it was virum it would be vira. It would only be "virii" if the singular was "virius". I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE SAY "VIRII". Viri is acceptable because it does look like a Latin word.

I've taken Latin as well, and I agree. Another interesting thing to note is that if you are going by Latin, the word "data" is plural. The singular is "datum."

For example, a proper sentence should read:

"The data are bad."

lol...but that just sounds retarded.

lol.. that is interesting.

 

[duhh]

viruses = biological
virii = computer

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: duhh
viruses = biological
virii = computer

VIRII IS NOT A WORD, NOT IN ENGLISH, NOT IN LATIN. THE PLURAL OF VIRUS IS NOT BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION VIRII!!!!!!

 

[ATLien247]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis


I have taken Latin and I can verify that you are wrong. If it was a Latin word, the plural would be "viri". Replace the us with an i to make Latin plural. If it was virum it would be vira. It would only be "virii" if the singular was "virius". I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE SAY "VIRII". Viri is acceptable because it does look like a Latin word.

After further investigation, I think we're both wrong...

 

[amnesiac]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: ATLien247
I think that "virus" is an English word, not a Latin word. So the plural should be "viruses".

If it were a Latin word, then because it is gender-neutral, the plural should be "vira".

Can someone else who has taken Latin verify this?

I have taken Latin and I can verify that you are wrong. If it was a Latin word, the plural would be "viri". Replace the us with an i to make Latin plural. If it was virum it would be vira. It would only be "virii" if the singular was "virius". I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE SAY "VIRII". Viri is acceptable because it does look like a Latin word.

Wrong.

From dictionary.com:

It is not viri, or (which is worse) virii. True, the word comes directly from Latin, but not all Latin words ending in -us have -i as their plural. Besides, viri is the Latin word for 'men' (plural of vir, man, the root the English virile). There is in fact no written attestation of a Latin plural of virus.

 

[Red Dawn]

what is the plural for virus?

The John Birch Society

 

[Medea]

Originally posted by: ATLien247

After further investigation, I think we're both wrong...

ATLien247, that was a good read. Thanks for posting the site.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

what is the plural for virus?

"Time To Reformat."

- M4H

 

[silverpig]

Virii will probably soon be an accepted spelling of the word even if it isn't now. That's why you can find words like "cannot" in the dictionary. They weren't words (rather can not) but a ton of lazy people just wrote it as "cannot" incorrectly. Common misuse led to a general acceptance and subsequent promotion to official worddom

I know that's not a word, but maybe I'll start the trend?

 

The word you've entered isn't in the dictionary. Click on a spelling suggestion below or try again using the Dictionary search box to the right.

Suggestions for virii:

There is no virii, never has been.

 

[digitalsm]

Originally posted by: SammySon

The word you've entered isn't in the dictionary. Click on a spelling suggestion below or try again using the Dictionary search box to the right.

Suggestions for virii:

There is no virii, never has been.

Well you are wrong. Computer viruses are CALLED virii. Its just not yet accepted by the dictionary companies, but it IS widely accepted and used in the computer industry. Eventually the word virii will be added to the dictionary. It will never be plural for virus, but it will be the term used for computer viruses, the term virii is used to descirbe one or multiple computer viruses, it is only one form.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: digitalsm

Originally posted by: SammySon

The word you've entered isn't in the dictionary. Click on a spelling suggestion below or try again using the Dictionary search box to the right.

Suggestions for virii:

There is no virii, never has been.

Well you are wrong. Computer viruses are CALLED virii. Its just not yet accepted by the dictionary companies, but it IS widely accepted and used in the computer industry. Eventually the word virii will be added to the dictionary. It will never be plural for virus, but it will be the term used for computer viruses, the term virii is used to descirbe one or multiple computer viruses, it is only one form.

Heh, so 1337, h4x0r and n00b are all words now too? I bet more people could explain pwn3d than they could virii.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: amnesiac

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: ATLien247
I think that "virus" is an English word, not a Latin word. So the plural should be "viruses".

If it were a Latin word, then because it is gender-neutral, the plural should be "vira".

Can someone else who has taken Latin verify this?

I have taken Latin and I can verify that you are wrong. If it was a Latin word, the plural would be "viri". Replace the us with an i to make Latin plural. If it was virum it would be vira. It would only be "virii" if the singular was "virius". I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE SAY "VIRII". Viri is acceptable because it does look like a Latin word.

Wrong.

From dictionary.com:

It is not viri, or (which is worse) virii. True, the word comes directly from Latin, but not all Latin words ending in -us have -i as their plural. Besides, viri is the Latin word for 'men' (plural of vir, man, the root the English virile). There is in fact no written attestation of a Latin plural of virus.

I said it is acceptable, meaning I accept it, because it follows the mechanics of Latin. I didn't say it was correct. In fact, I said earlier in the thread that "viruses" is correct.

 

[Beau]

Originally posted by: digitalsm

Originally posted by: SammySon

The word you've entered isn't in the dictionary. Click on a spelling suggestion below or try again using the Dictionary search box to the right.

Suggestions for virii:

There is no virii, never has been.

Well you are wrong. Computer viruses are CALLED virii. Its just not yet accepted by the dictionary companies, but it IS widely accepted and used in the computer industry. Eventually the word virii will be added to the dictionary. It will never be plural for virus, but it will be the term used for computer viruses, the term virii is used to descirbe one or multiple computer viruses, it is only one form.

Computer viruses are called "virii" by incompetent users trying to sound like they know what the hell they're talking about.

 

[Goosemaster]

Latin already had a word viri, but it was the nominative plural not of virus (slime, poison, or venom), but of vir (man), which as it turns out is also a 2nd declension noun. I do not believe that writers of English who write viri are intentionally speaking of men. And although there actually is a viri form for virus, it's the genitive singular[1], not the nominative plural. And we certainly don't grab for genitive singulars for the plurals when we've started out with a nominative. Such hanky panky would certainly get you talked about, and probably your hand slapped as well

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: amnesiac

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: ATLien247
I think that "virus" is an English word, not a Latin word. So the plural should be "viruses".

If it were a Latin word, then because it is gender-neutral, the plural should be "vira".

Can someone else who has taken Latin verify this?

I have taken Latin and I can verify that you are wrong. If it was a Latin word, the plural would be "viri". Replace the us with an i to make Latin plural. If it was virum it would be vira. It would only be "virii" if the singular was "virius". I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE SAY "VIRII". Viri is acceptable because it does look like a Latin word.

Wrong.

From dictionary.com:

It is not viri, or (which is worse) virii. True, the word comes directly from Latin, but not all Latin words ending in -us have -i as their plural. Besides, viri is the Latin word for 'men' (plural of vir, man, the root the English virile). There is in fact no written attestation of a Latin plural of virus.

I said it is acceptable, meaning I accept it, because it follows the mechanics of Latin. I didn't say it was correct. In fact, I said earlier in the thread that "viruses" is correct.

What's more, viri is an acceptable word because it IS a word... Doesn't mean viruses, but it's still a word.

 

[mwtgg]

Originally posted by: silverpig

Heh, so 1337, h4x0r and n00b are all words now too? I bet more people could explain pwn3d than they could virii.

Well, just like d'oh is now an accepted word, and was just added to the dictionary. It's all relative.

 

[Beau]

Originally posted by: mwtgg

Originally posted by: silverpig

Heh, so 1337, h4x0r and n00b are all words now too? I bet more people could explain pwn3d than they could virii.

Well, just like d'oh is now an accepted word, and was just added to the dictionary. It's all relative.

"d'oh" is an accepted slang, not an accepted propper word

It's also an expression of emotion, not a noun.

 

[OokiiNeko]

I knew things were headed downhill when they added "Yo" to the Scrabble dictionary

 

[Beau]

I think it's time this thread died. The answer has been pointed out repeatedly, evidence has been presented. Argument closed.

Anyone who is arguing that "virii" is propper is fighting a pointless battle.

Reguardless of how it is used (medically or technologically speaking), the plural form is "viruses." Always has been, always will be. To think that just because it is a different field that the spelling of it would change is silly. Computer viruses are called so because they behave similarly to that of biological form.

If you need further proof, read here:

http://www.perl.com/language/misc/virus.html

http://www.cknow.com/vtutor/vtplural.htm

http://homepages.tesco.net/~J.deBoynePollard/FGA/plural-of-virus.html

http://www.glencoe.com/sec/writerschoice/sp/hslessons/grade9/lesson2/index.shtml <-- pay special attention to part 2

http://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=222617

http://www.hs.ttu.edu/home/virus/terms.htm

http://www.newtontalk.net/archive/newtontalk.2002-10/1326.html




It's "viruses;" Live with it.

 

[Beau]

Originally posted by: OokiiNeko
I knew things were headed downhill when they added "Yo" to the Scrabble dictionary

lol

Yes, it's Scrabble: The benchmark of today's grammar.