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pherrari
(Untitled)
Mar 29, 2006 01:39
DEBATE!
Topic: What is the plural of sperm?
I think its sperm. Sperm are like deer. See, that sentence works.
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gablazes
March 30 2006, 04:17:12 UTC
NO, DAVID. We should FIGHT.
Sperm is short for spermatozoa. Clearly this means the plural is neither sperm nor sperms but in fact spermAE, short for the pluralization spermatozoae.
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sebastian86
March 30 2006, 08:27:43 UTC
if we go by your rationalization, all that's added to spermatozoa is an e actually and so it wouldn't be spermAE but just spermE.
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gablazes
March 30 2006, 14:15:06 UTC
No, because you've changed the ending sound of the root word you need to change the ending sound of its abbreviation. Hence spermae.
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sebastian86
March 30 2006, 19:02:08 UTC
i stand by merriam-webster. www.m-w.com
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gablazes
March 30 2006, 19:39:06 UTC
I do not respect their authorit-ay.
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Sperm is short for spermatozoa. Clearly this means the plural is neither sperm nor sperms but in fact spermAE, short for the pluralization spermatozoae.
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