Latin, from Greek hippopotamos, alteration of hippos potamios, literally, riverine horse. It's probably safest to go with hippopotamuses. It may also depend on whether the Latin or Greek form of the plural is either easily recognizable or pleasant to the speaker of English. Hippopotamuses live in groups of up to thirty. What is the hink-pink for blue green moray? What made you want to look up hippopotamus? Since there are essentially two correct words that can be used as the plural, there can be a great deal of confusion over which word someone should use. I'm not sure I approve of the group of hippos being known as a "bloat" of hippos. Copyright © 2020 Multiply Media, LLC. Apparently they are just bad tempered and will crush anyone who makes them mad. Despite this, however, many people feel that “hippopotamuses” seems silly, both visually and when said aloud, and often reminds people of the over-pronunciation of the word in the song I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas. Is it true that English has the most words of any language? Despite the fact that this may seem lengthy or somewhat silly in appearance, it is correct English and should be accepted by any teacher or employer. Since the word hippopotamus has been shortened to “hippo” in many settings, the use of the plural word “hippos” can also avoid the entire issue regarding the plural of hippopotamus.

Hippos are gregarious, living in groups of up to thirty animals.

This depends a great deal on the individual preferences of those who may be reading or hearing the words, however, so people looking to use the plural of hippopotamus in a school paper or report should consult their teacher to ensure proper usage for that setting. Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words? "Cannot" vs. "Can Not": What's The Difference? All Rights Reserved. I usually like using the correct word for a group of animals, because it usually seems much more fitting than a generic word, but I think in this case I might just keep calling them a herd. Probably more so than the word hippopotamus itself, which basically means "river horse".

How to use a word that (literally) drives some pe... Name that government!

Here's the word you're looking for. 'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'? A lot of people want to wallow like hippos at a waterhole when they go on holiday, and there's nothing wrong with that. Are You Learning English? As for which plural of the word is correct, the article has already clarified the answer. The plural of hippopotamus is “hippopotamuses,” though in many contexts, the Latin plural form of “hippopotami” can also be used. hippopotamus. This shortening is often seen as a very informal word, however, so it should usually be avoided in contexts in which formality is needed, such as scholarly or business writings. In order to avoid debate, "hippos" is more often used. Common usage appears to indicate a slight preference for termini rather than terminuses, but syllabuses rather than syllabi. This discussion itself could be a nice conversation ice-breaker.

What is the rising action of faith love and dr lazaro? Ano ang mga kasabihan sa sa aking kababata? Definition, Rechtschreibung, Synonyme und Grammatik von 'Hippopotamus' auf Duden online nachschlagen. Octopus is not a simple Latin word of the second declension, but a Latinized form of the Greek word oktopous, and its ‘correct’ plural would logically be octopodes. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Pagkakaiba ng pagsulat ng ulat at sulating pananaliksik? See other FAQs about language.Read our blog post about borrowed plurals. Any wild animal is bound to feel threatened when humans get too close. I must have come to this conclusion on my own because I did take Latin in college and the -i addix seems like the logical one when hippopotamus is made plural. @browncoat - Well, I can definitely see why there might be a negative term for a group of hippos. Like octopi, the plural hippopotami is now generally taken to be either funny or absurdly pedantic, and the usual plural is hippopotamuses. I'd personally either use hippopotami or hippos when referring to the plural of hippopotamus. You simply add the apostrophe to make HIPPOPOTAMUS' What is the possessive form for scientist's?

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way. I'm not sure a four legged animal could look more different from a horse. Delivered to your inbox! Definition of hippopotamus noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. I realize that students should stick with "hippopotamuses" in their assignments.

Since this uses the Latin plural form, it may be considered somewhat informal or inappropriate in some settings in which the English plural may be preferred. What Is the Subject-Verb Agreement in English Grammar? noun. Madagascar's landscape may not be a bad fit for lions, giraffes, zebras, and hippos. It was my favorite stuffed animal and I played with it for years. Among words ending in -um it seems worth drawing attention to the word curricula, plural of curriculum, and warning against confusion with the adjective curricular (as in extra-curricular). How to pronounce hippopotamus (audio) \. So it's difficult to digest that they're not very friendly animals.

/ ˌhɪpəˈpɑ̬əməs / noun. I want a hippopotamus for Christmas. I don't think my English teachers ever taught this. What Is a Foreign Plural in English Grammar? mus | \ ˌhi-pə-ˈpä-tə-məs. a large herbivorous mammal, Hippopotamus amphibius, having a thick hairless body, short legs, and a large head and muzzle, found in and near the rivers, lakes, etc., of Africa, and able to remain under water for a considerable time. Even though the noun hippopotamus has a Greek root, it is often assigned the Latin plural hippopotami. Build a city of skyscrapers—one synonym at a time. Question: What Is the Plural of Hippopotamus? The material on this site can not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with prior written permission of Multiply. It's good to know what the dictionary says is correct though. While both plural forms are relatively acceptable, especially when used in informal contexts, many dictionaries list “hippopotamuses” as the first entry for the plural of hippopotamus. Grace Fleming, M.Ed., is a senior academic advisor at Georgia Southern University, where she helps students improve their academic performance and develop good study skills. 2006 "The Eastern Cape village whose dam has been taken over by a hippo will decide next week what happens to the animal." 'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'? Only a hippopotamus will do. @umbra21 - They might look awkward on land, but they can actually outrun a human, which is another reason they can be deadly. There are two accepted plurals of hippopotamus: hippopotamuses and hippopotami. 2. pigmy hippopotamus. This causes many people to use the other form of “hippopotami” instead, though the increased usage of “hippo” has also lead to the use of “hippos” in many instances. Ano ang Imahinasyong guhit na naghahati sa daigdig sa magkaibang araw? The word hippopotamus, denoting the large, gray mammal, comes from Latin (and thence from Greek), and its Latin plural is hippopotami. It was a shocking bit of news to me. Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache. And I also want to point out that they are a threatened species, so you can hardly blame them for being aggressive towards humans. It has short legs and a thick skin sparsely covered with hair. When spoken aloud, however, the word “hippopotamuses” can become laborious to say, and so “hippos” is often acceptable in that context.

So, the plural form hippopotami is technically an Other usual forms include cacti and gladioli, and our files at the dictionary department show scarcely any examples of nucleuses or funguses. /ˌhɪp əˈpɒt əˌmaɪ/. hippo ( plural hippos ) Clipping of hippopotamus . If you are 13 years old when were you born? What Are The Plurals Of "Octopus," "Hippopotamus," and "Syllabus"? When did organ music become associated with baseball? And, frankly, they look kind of bloated. Although apparently they are most closely related to whales and dolphins. Question: What Is the Plural of Hippopotamus? Download Grammarly's app to help with eliminating grammar errors and finding the right words. But hippopotamus is an English word when English speakers use it, and there is nothing wrong with pluralizing it in the manner of our own language: hippopotamuses. But being Grammar Girl, the song also gets me thinking about the plural of hippopotamus because it’s a common question: Is the plural hippopotamuses or hippopotami? The word “hippopotami” is also correct as the plural of hippopotamus, however. See more from Common Questions About The English Language.

The plural of hippopotamus is “hippopotamuses,” though in many contexts, the Latin plural form of “hippopotami” can also be used. I mean, they are one of the most deadly animals in Africa in terms of human deaths.

Like many animals, a gathering of hippopotamuses has a particular name and such a group is referred to as a “bloat” of hippopotamuses. mi [hip-uh-pot-uh-mahy]. From Latin and New Latin hippopotamus, from Ancient Greek ἱπποπόταμος (hippopótamos), from ἵππος (híppos, “horse”) (English hippo-) + ποταμός (potamós, “river”). But in regular conversation, I wouldn't want to use that. So I don't think it's that strange they were named after horses. “Hippopotamus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hippopotamus. Hippopotamuses is right. Send us feedback. Why don't libraries smell like bookstores? Hippopotamuses is the plural of hippopotamus, but hippopotami is acceptable, although not preferred. Does Jerry Seinfeld have Parkinson's disease? What does 'poke' refer to in the expression 'pig in a poke'.

Even though it may be the correct form, it just sounds incorrect and strange. How to pronounce hippopotami (audio) , - (ˌ)mē \. Though they are bulky animals, hippopotami can gallop at 19 mph on land. (Omnibi is simply a joke, and quite ungrammatical in Latin!). Or something like that. What is the time signature of the song Atin Cu Pung Singsing? Language Questions 'Hippopotamuses' or 'Hippopotami'? How much does does a 100 dollar roblox gift card get you in robhx? I think these just sound better. These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hippopotamus.'

Other words ending in -us show a very varied pattern. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our, Review Exercises in Subject-Verb Agreement. Though they are bulky animals, hippopotami can gallop at 19 mph on land. I think the word is very appropriate. Home

Weekend Argus 24 June 2006. Technically, you could use either hippopotamuses or hippopotami and be correct. While both plural forms are relatively acceptable, especially when used in informal contexts, many dictionaries list “hippopotamuses” as the first entry for the plural of … Buffon and others puzzled over the leg bones, resembling those of modern elephants, and the knobby teeth that looked like those of a, Ahram Online, the shoes are adorned with engravings of Bes, the protector god of pregnant women and children, and Taweret, a goddess whose appearance combines aspects of a, For ages 24 months and up, this inflatable, There’s also a long hallucination involving a, In the coronavirus heartbreak category: The San Antonio Zoo is having to cancel the birthday parties of two of its most beloved animal denizens, Lucky the Elephant and Timothy the, The big takeaway Hippos don’t lie: Seventeen years after Pablo Escobar was killed, the Colombian drug king’s four pet, Raul Arboleda/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images When Pablo Escobar died in 1993, the Colombian drug kingpin’s four adult African, Post the Definition of hippopotamus to Facebook, Share the Definition of hippopotamus on Twitter, ‘Fascism’: The Word’s Meaning and History.

@umbra21-- I recently learned that hippopotamuses kill many humans every year.

In order to avoid debate, "hippos" is more often used. We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website, including to provide targeted advertising and track usage.



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