Re: OT: What color is blond(e)? (was Re: anti-Sanskritism and more)
| From: | Roger Mills <romilly@...> |
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| Date: | Sunday, December 7, 2003, 6:58 |
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Mark J. Reed wrote:
> On Sat, Dec 06, 2003 at 09:13:41PM -0500, Ph. D. wrote:
> > While we're on the subject of blond vs. blonde and
> > folk vs. folks, can someone tell me why I can't find
> > university wear which says "alumnus" or "alumna"?
>
> Because most speakers of English don't know those words. They know
> the plural form because it almost always occurs in the plural.
> I wouldn't be surprised if "alumnus" and "alumna" had disappeared
> entirely a few generations hence.
Umm, that's what happens when you abolish Latin as a requirement for college
entrance......Grr. Though I suspect that had little to do with it.
The pronunciation of the plurals has always amused and perplexed me. In
Latin class, we learned--
alumni [a'lumni] and alumnae [a'lumnaj]
BUT-- those who use them say alumni [alumnaj] and alumnae [alumni]*. Go
figure!
*Actually the _u's_ should be @, but that's not the problem.........
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