Snow gates in Scotland

I have also given up on them. My fat has increased faster than my muscles.

On holiday, don't most people wear virtually no clothes?

Lets face it, the "average Briton" is a "mutt"

The OED, Fowlers and even Wikki say that quora is not the plural of quorum. "As a result, quora as plural of quorum is not a valid Latin formation."

Just the name of a website trying to sound clever and failing!!.

Jeff

In message <tplus9$ahi$ snipped-for-privacy@gioia.aioe.org>, Jeff snipped-for-privacy@ukra.com writes

English is (of course) sometimes inconsistent in the way it applies its 'rules' of spelling and pronunciation. The plurals of Latin-sounding words is just one example.

Some of our apparently Latin words were probably unknown to the ancient Romans, or if they were, these days we use some Latin words to mean something rather (or even completely) different from how the Romans used them.

Just because an erudite word ends in an apparently Latin ending, that should not immediately qualify it for a Latin plural. Also, some Latin words to which, by common usage, we have usually applied an Anglicised plural, simply don't sound right when suddenly a rather pretentious (and sometimes even incorrect) plural Latin ending is attached instead.

I don't have much of a problem with the aforementioned quorum-quora, but I totally disapprove of 'stadium-stadia' (very popular when there's an Olympic Games going about) and, in particular, the dreaded, Covid-induced, plural 'data'.

The singular, 'datum' (past participle of the verb 'dare', 'to give') means 'that which has been given', and the plural, 'data', 'those which have been given'. However, for a long time 'datum' has usually been used to mean 'a reference (point)', and 'data', 'information' (a singular noun). As we don't say 'informations', 'data', as a plural, sounds plain silly.

"Data" is NOT technically a "singular nown" as a single point is not really data. Data is a collection of facts - technically plural.

In one of his more approachable essays Heidegger discussed Greek texts. We have the words, but what did they mean to a Greek? He was concerned with philosophy but even everyday words carry more freight than you'll find in a dictionary. For example, the word that appeared in this thread, 'backpacker'. An Australian pictures a young overseas person on a working vacation; I picture a Sierra club member with a colorful Kelty backpack filled with expensive freeze-dried meals.

Just because the plural didn't used to exist, doesn't mean it can't be invented.

Why is that any different to quorum-quora?

Information is already a plural.

Or even a noun. That ain't a typo, the w is 5 keys away from the u.

Groups re-added for the benefit of those not in your little corner of the internet. Learn how to use a newsreader you silly clown.

hark you....

In message snipped-for-privacy@ryzen.home, Commander Kinsey snipped-for-privacy@nospam.com writes

Simply common usage.

I didn't write the above - but I totally agree (see below).

I'm sure that those information are incorrect!

In message <tpoeg9$17duv$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me, jim.gm4dhj snipped-for-privacy@ntlworld.com writes

At school I actually quite liked Latin. But I only did it for three years, so I didn't get enough Latin for The Judging.

But it's clear what it means. I see no problem with inventing a word on the fly, for example, you have two parts of your brain, the conscious and subconscious, one does things like thinking, the other does basic things like opening doors. So you must have a conscious. Not a conscience, that's to do with morals.

Why did you use "that"? I'm becoming increasingly irritated with people putting "that" everywhere. Your sentence means precisely the same without it.

And anyway, because information is always a plural, you don't need "those". "The" will do. Like "the sheep entered the field" makes sense even if there are 50.

You are very very odd. No point in learning a dead language. Why not learn one still in use, then you could be an interpreter.

But I only did it for three

What is "The Judging"?

In message snipped-for-privacy@ryzen.home, Commander Kinsey snipped-for-privacy@nospam.com writes

It's not dead - it's only resting.

See alt.language.latin

Which one do you suggest?

True, so true.

See

Only to you.

There's no point in learning a living language unless you are likely to want to speak to someone who speaks that language (or read it). Otherwise you will just forget it.

And, as an English speaker living near (or in) Europe, there's no single language that it would be useful to learn.

(It would be different if I had a particular connection, business or personal, to a particular European country.)

If you got a job as an interpreter you will use it.

Only because the rest of the world mostly speaks English as a second language.