Scientifically, the correct form of pluralizing "virus" is "virii". At least as far as biological virii go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why, when referring to computer virii, we always call them viruses?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The argument that computer terms don't follow rules does not hold. For example, we still call computer mice mice, not mouses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyone knows why?

Virii doesn't exactely roll off the tongue. Guess most people were just ignorant of it and then started saying viruseses.

I don't think that alot of people know that the correct plural form of the word, "virus" is "virii".

virii sounds stupid.

hmm i always thought viruses was the only way... does it matter?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depends what school you came from i guess.. lol

This is what i think of this topic:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The topic below says "How far can you get your duck?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edit a few words and youll have my thoughts

I think its "Viruses"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If Norton or AVG ever said "Virii", I'd throw the disc at my dictionary.

In the English language, the normal plural of virus is viruses. This form of the plural is correct, and used most frequently, both when referring to a biological virus and when referring to a computer virus.

 

 

 

The plurals viri and virii are also correct, although used less frequently. There is disagreement among users of the Internet especially over whether these forms should be considered correct for a computer based virus. No reputable printed dictionary however includes them as correct forms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Its easy to see how this unusual pluralised mistake comes about because computer technology language is renound for breaking the rules of English. The correct plural for a Computer Mouse is Mouses and not Mice for many little rodents authough most people still say Mice. lol

Yeah, I use viri (with only 2 i's)

 

 

 

Good to see that all are correct then :P

Never heard of that! :shock:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It sounds funny :P

It's really much the same as the way "judgement" is an acceptable mis-spelling of "judgment."

Virii, oh that sounds much better than viruses, I didn't know that was the correct word, but itsn't it that with uhm, doctor stuff they refer more to Latin than in the normal language? What I try to say is that maybe virii is more jargon than normal language (of course it is correct, but viruses more used in normal language). Anyway, a similiar thing is fora and forums, I like fora better than forums.

the reason why the scientific plural of a word ending in -us turns out to be -i is because this is how 2nd declension masculine latin words work...and we took their style. 2nd declension neuter words are -um and the plural form of that is -a, just like bacterium, bacteria. A first declension feminine word is antenna, with plural antennae.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Virus is a word originating in latin, but there is a reason why it is not called viri. (virii is in fact wrong, it only has one i. it has two i's in the genetive case, not the plural nominative) The plural of virus is not called viri because that is the same word for the plural of man. The word for man is vir, and plural is viri. so, it would not make sense to call viruses and man the same thing.

Dice = Die

 

 

 

Cactus = Cacti

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

:D

Most people also don't know that the word "data" and "criteria" are both plural. Singular is "datum" and "criterion". :wink:

ii-words rock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/me goes to check other topicii.

ii-words rock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/me goes to check other topicii.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Skiiii :D