Proper Plural for Prius

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Plain_jim @ Sep 7 2006, 05:44 AM) [snapback]315621[/snapback]</div>

I would think it's Prius's would do... I wonder how the English would pronounce the word Prius.. :mellow:

 

Hi Jim.

Actually, in Latin, prius is mainly a comparative adverb (in which case it's invariant) or a third-declension comparative adjective, meaning "earlier" or indeed "prior".

The adjective can be used as a noun, in which case it means something like "forefather" or "predecessor". Being third declension, "prior" is the common nominative singular, "prius" is the neuter nominative singular, and "priora" is the neuter nominative plural.

So if you want to be Latin (which I personally don't), it's Prius/Priora. "Prii" is nonsense .

For me, it's "Priuses", anyway, in speech. It's a bit of an affectation to use Latin plurals in English. If writing, it looks ugly, so I'd try to avoid using the plural (this is Toyota's usual approach).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusguy04 @ Sep 7 2006, 04:59 AM) [snapback]315626[/snapback]</div>

No! This is known as "the greengrocer's apostrophe" and is generally regarded as a solecism. Why not use 'Prius' as both a singular and plural? Many English words come from foreign languages but that doesn't mean we have to adopt the plural conventions of those languages. If you don't like Prius as a plural, just say "I have two Prius cars on the drive".

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Oxo @ Sep 7 2006, 11:27 AM) [snapback]315632[/snapback]</div>

I was assuming he was joking, so didn't dignify it with a response.

While we're on the Latin lesson, I'd like to point out that not only is "prius" part of the Latin word "prior" that went straight into English, it also has the superlative form "primus", meaning "first", which of course gives us "primary", "primordial", etc. Fascinating, eh? B)

 

Since we're talking English rather than Latin the plural will be Priuses
similar to buses
However in some countries it's busses so Priusses

Or you could avoid the plural altogether as in a shoal of fish, or a herd of sheep (hence sheep herd) now flock of sheep....

A pair of Prius

 

You guys are all too smart for your own good!
Prius is a name, like Jones. We're going driving with the Joneses in our Priuses.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Plain_jim @ Sep 7 2006, 12:59 PM) [snapback]315642[/snapback]</div>

Thought you'd like it. Don't think I could actually use it with a straight face. I just keep mentioning it in various fora lol because whenever people start talking about the Latin, they get it wrong, and I just can't stand leaving misinformation uncorrected...

 

I wholly agree with those posters above who point out that we are speaking English, and therefore it makes no sense to try to use foreign plural forms. Also that "Prii" looks bad in writing and sounds wrong in speaking.

I am gratified by the OP's explanation that "Prii" is wrong even in Latin (I deeply regret that my generation was not taught latin in school.)

Since we are speaking English, I use "Priuses" or sometimes "Prius" as the plural. Since Prius is not even a word in English, but rather a proper noun foisted upon us by the Japanese, there is no "correct" answer. But the fact that these same Japanese have chosen to avoid the plural entirely suggests that there is not a separate plural form, and that the convention to follow, in their opinion, is that of "moose."

Nobody would ever dream of saying, "Look sweetheart: there's a moose in the garden. No, wait! There are two mii."

It is quite acceptable in English, and it sounds best, to say, "Today I saw three Prius on the road, all in a row."

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(KMO @ Sep 7 2006, 06:40 AM) [snapback]315633[/snapback]</div>

I'm sure he's not joking. Tacking an "s" on with an apostrophe as in Prius's is definitely using "the greengrocer's apostrophe" an not in good form. The practice is so bothersome that some people carry white-out for fixing signs on the spot. Not that I would ever do anything like that.

Tom

 

Sweet fairy princess mother of pearl - fourth declensions. Aaaaaaugh!

It is intuitively obvious to the most casual observer that the plural of Prius is Priwe (pronounced (of course) pree-wee) if the group includes your car, or Prithey (pronounced pree-they) if your car is not in the group.

QED

Fer pete's sake, people.

Now you know.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(glenhead @ Sep 7 2006, 09:54 AM) [snapback]315679[/snapback]</div>

How does the WeePri fit into this?

 

Prius²

P²

 

cactus--cactii
Prius--Prii

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Proco @ Sep 7 2006, 07:08 AM) [snapback]315688[/snapback]</div>

In a very small space. B)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Renocat @ Sep 7 2006, 03:40 PM) [snapback]315701[/snapback]</div>

Er, yes, but it's "cacti", and anyway in Latin, not all things ending in "us" pluralise the same way. So...

2nd declension: cactus--cacti
2nd declension: gladius--gladii (couldn't think of any English words ending in -ius directly nicked from Latin)
4th declension: census--census (with a long u in the plural, but this board won't let me draw a macron on top)
3rd declension: Prius--Priora (because the stem is "Prior")

The 2nd declension is most common, the 4th less so. Prius is a bit of an oddity because it's really a comparative adjective rather than a real noun; 3rd declension nouns don't usually end in "us".

Now, you could argue that it's become a convention for Latin words in English to be pluralised with -us becoming -i, regardless of Latin grammar, but I don't think it has, really. English pluralisation is correct (cactuses, stadiums, forums), but some people try to show off by using Latin plurals (cacti, stadia, fora). And then, they shoot themselves in the foot with "censi" or "Prii".

 

Ooh, just found a good article - What is the plural of "penis"?. That goes into the subject in great detail, covering lots of words. Choice quote:

 

I remember this from philosophy class. A Priori knowledge, right?

A bus is not a buss.

The smallest WeePri is the Wee-est Prius. The largest is called Biggus Prius. Or Priapus, if you ask Tony.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(KMO @ Sep 7 2006, 12:18 PM) [snapback]315756[/snapback]</div>

Gads! Now they are going to start discussing the declension of a penis! I won't even go there (oops, I already did ).

Tom