On: Original Pentium FDIV flaw e-mail [1994]

[barrkel]

I'm not really picking up why it's so reprehensible for someone to jokingly pluralize Pentiums as Pentia. Can you explain?

[jfb → barrkel]

It wasn't a joke.

[larelli → jfb]

And it wasn't incorrect either. -um is the ending for neutrums (actually neutra) and -a is the plural thereof.

[jfb → larelli]

True, except in that Pentium is an English neologism, and thus is pluralized like an English noun. Don't get me started on the plurals of octopus or virus, please.

[barrkel → jfb]

It's odd, but someone actually downvoted me for getting you to clarify that. Haters gonna hate, I guess.

[merijnv → barrkel]

Well, if my Latin knowledge hasn't abandoned me -um is the ending for masculine words whereas -a is used for feminine words. I suppose the proper plural of Pentium would be Pentii :p

[drinian → merijnv]

-um would generally be a neutral-gendered noun in Latin. (You're thinking of -us as a masculine ending). Thus, Pentia is the correct pluralization.

However, Pentium was at best a pseudo-Latin brand name to begin with, and Pentiums is likely the least wrong pluralization in English.

[merijnv → drinian]

Yeah, you're right now that I think about it (the example that reminded me is pluralizing walrus to walri). Personally I do this sort of thing just for personal amusement (as I imagine this persons boss did) rather then actual correctness.