(no subject)

[jack]

[1]: I wasn't sure if I could get away with "conundra" but it felt right in context. I looked it up on etymonline (was it you, pippa, or you, vyvyan who linked me to that? either way I love both of you :)), and found:

1596, Oxford University slang for "pedant," also "whim," etc., later (1790) "riddle, puzzle," also spelled quonundrum; the sort of ponderous pseudo-Latin word that was once the height of humor in learned circles.

So I think I'm justified in using a plural as pretentious as I can contrive, hah :)

Comments

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Though "conundra" is a fairly standed pseudo-plural, can you suggest anything more obscure, plausible and incorrect? :)

[pseudomonas.livejournal.com]

The -um word with a nonstandard plural that comes to mind is targum, pluralled targumim, though -um is by no means a very typical Hebrew ending; I can't think of any other English words that would fit this pattern.

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Ooh, shiny. Do you think we could get away with "conundrunim" or "conundrim", if we're making up words anyway? It just sounds a bit better to me :)

[(Anonymous)]

not the latter - "um" is not an ending but part of the stem, as in the english "drum". The former sounds a bit daft too.

[pseudomonas.livejournal.com]

Um, that was me. "humdrum" is probably a better example there.

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Yes, but as we're making up the plural *anyway*... :)

[rochvelleth.livejournal.com]

I think words originating from a Latin genitive plural (as with 'quorum' below) would fit quite well?

But I do think -um endings from non-Latin languages provide more shiny examples :)

[rochvelleth.livejournal.com]

Victoriana! ;)

What about 'quora'? Because 'quorum' is really already a genitive plural :)