[K12OSN] Plural of Virus (was Antivirus program for Linux)
Huck
dhuckaby at paasda.org
Wed Aug 11 17:41:23 UTC 2004
Is all this in relation to Computer Related Viral Infections or Medical
Related?
Because DISC and DISK are quite different as well...
But...that's for another thread I suppose...
--Huck
Henry Hartley wrote:
>Jeff Kinz wrote:
>
>
>>Henry - you can fix your email client so it quotes properly, see:
>>outlook express: http://home.in.tum.de/~jain/software/oe-quotefix/
>>To fix Outlook: http://home.in.tum.de/~jain/software/outlook-quotefix/
>>
>>
>
>Very useful. Thanks. I'm tired of having to manually rearrange mail.
>
>
>
>>Both virus and viri are correct and will be understood. (despite my
>>enormous respect for Rick Moen)
>>
>>Viri may be better because its shorter.
>>
>>Correct language usage is always determined by common usage and common
>>usage is always, everchanging.
>>
>>
>
>While in time misspellings may come into common usage and become "correct" I
>don't think we're there yet with viri. Also, the source of "common usage"
>may matter here. If "common usage" were the only criterion and if email and
>Usenet were a significant source of "common usage" then the distinction
>between they're/their/there, to/too, its/it's, etc. would have disappeared
>long ago. They have not. The proper plural of virus is viruses. Viri is
>not correct and won't be for some time (if ever). Understandable, yes.
>Correct, no.
>
>
>
>>One of my favorite quotes:
>>"If anybody ever tells you that you're using the language incorrectly,
>>just yell 'prescriptive grammarian!' at the top of your voice and all
>>the linguists in the building will run over and surround the guy' and
>>then they'll rough him up."
>>
>>
>
>Words matter. What you say and how you say it will determine how you are
>judged by others. You don't have to like it but using words correctly pays
>in the end. In an old Dilbert (as best I can remember) Dilbert is
>explaining how language changes and says that if enough intellectuals use a
>word incorrectly long enough it becomes common usage and then is considered
>correct. Dogbert replies that what we need is smarter intellectuals.
>
>
>
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