Why isn't the plural of 'octopus' 'octopi'?

Octopi, the supposed plural of octopus, is a favorite among fans of quirky words, but it has no etymological basis. The form was created by English speakers out of a mistaken belief that octopus is Latin and hence pluralized with an -i ending. read more

First, "octopi" is often considered an acceptable plural of octopus, albeit not the preferred plural. Second, as has already been noted, octopus is Greek, and the -i ending is for Latin, so it couldn't be a retention of the loanword's original plural. read more

Octopi vs. octopuses Octopi, the supposed plural of octopus, is a favorite among fans of quirky words, but it has no etymological basis. The form was created by English speakers out of a mistaken belief that octopus is Latin and hence pluralized with an -i ending. read more