Plural Word Rule Breaker!!

AmentsChick
AmentsChick Posts: 6,969
edited July 2008 in All Encompassing Trip
How come the plural of monkey is 'monkeys' and not 'monkies'??
This is the greatest band in the world -- Ben Harper

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  • orig_long red
    orig_long red Posts: 2,029
    because "monkeys" practice auto-eroticism, drink their own urine, and have ugly butts.
    Jam out with your clam out.
  • AmentsChick
    AmentsChick Posts: 6,969
    long red wrote:
    because "monkeys" practice auto-eroticism, drink their own urine, and have ugly butts.
    Hmm...I see your point.
    This is the greatest band in the world -- Ben Harper

  • libragirl
    libragirl Posts: 4,632
    huh...I never really thought about it.
    These cuts are leaving creases. Trace the scars to fit the pieces, to tell the story, you don't need to say a word.
  • Rhinocerous Surprise
    Rhinocerous Surprise Posts: 4,423
    What's sad is that I actually have spent a lot of time thinking about this. I think it comes down to monkeys being excellent enough to be beyond all grammatical restraints.

    But it's sorta like wondering why the plural of house is houses, but the plural of mouse is mice.
    Smokey Robinson constantly looks like he's trying to act natural after being accused of farting.
  • orig_long red
    orig_long red Posts: 2,029
    AmentsChick wrote:
    How come the plural of monkey is 'monkeys' and not 'monkies'??

    all kidding aside, it's actually because the english language is just plain stupid.
    Jam out with your clam out.
  • Phantom Pain
    Phantom Pain Posts: 9,876
    long red wrote:
    because "monkeys" practice auto-eroticism, drink their own urine, and have ugly butts.


    I know a few websites about that.....
    My drinking team has a hockey problem

    The ONLY thing better than a glass of beer is tea with Miss McGill



    A protuberance of flesh above the waistband of a tight pair of trousers
  • roar
    roar Posts: 1,116
    words ending in y preceeded by a noun form their plurals normally.

    day - days
    key - keys
    monkey - monkeys

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_plural#Almost-regular_plurals

    i love exceptions.
  • blackredyellow
    blackredyellow Posts: 5,889
    Rhinocerous Surprise wrote:
    But it's sorta like wondering why the plural of house is houses, but the plural of mouse is mice.

    And the plural of goose is geese, but the plural of moose is... well... moose
    My whole life
    was like a picture
    of a sunny day
    “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
    ― Abraham Lincoln
  • Wobbie
    Wobbie Posts: 31,399
    long red wrote:
    because "monkeys" practice auto-eroticism, drink their own urine, and have ugly butts.
    ^^^^ that's funny... :D

    ...but here's the rule...

    3. If the word ends in a vowel plus -y (-ay, -ey, -iy, -oy, -uy), add an -s to the word.

    tray--trays
    key--keys

    4. If the word ends in a consonant plus -y, change the -y into -ie and add an -s to form the plural.

    enemy--enemies
    baby--babies
    If I had known then what I know now...

    Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
    VIC 07
    EV LA1 08
    Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
    Columbus 10
    EV LA 11
    Vancouver 11
    Missoula 12
    Portland 13, Spokane 13
    St. Paul 14, Denver 14
    Philly I & II, 16
    Denver 22
    Missoula 24
  • orig_long red
    orig_long red Posts: 2,029
    blackredyellow wrote:
    And the plural of goose is geese, but the plural of moose is... well... moose

    wrong moron.

    the plural of moose is moosen.
    Jam out with your clam out.
  • Phantom Pain
    Phantom Pain Posts: 9,876
    How come we say the word HEARD

    But a man has BEARD its not pronounced BIRD


    Hmmmmmmmm
    My drinking team has a hockey problem

    The ONLY thing better than a glass of beer is tea with Miss McGill



    A protuberance of flesh above the waistband of a tight pair of trousers
  • AmentsChick
    AmentsChick Posts: 6,969
    roar wrote:
    words ending in y preceeded by a noun form their plurals normally.

    day - days
    key - keys
    monkey - monkeys

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_plural#Almost-regular_plurals

    Well thanks! But that's not a very exciting answer.
    This is the greatest band in the world -- Ben Harper

  • Solat13
    Solat13 Posts: 6,996
    It's because monkey has a vowel in front of the y. If there is a vowel in front of y just add an s. If there's a consonant the plural changes to ies.
    - Busted down the pretext
    - 8/28/98
    - 9/2/00
    - 4/28/03, 5/3/03, 7/3/03, 7/5/03, 7/6/03, 7/9/03, 7/11/03, 7/12/03, 7/14/03
    - 9/28/04, 9/29/04, 10/1/04, 10/2/04
    - 9/11/05, 9/12/05, 9/13/05, 9/30/05, 10/1/05, 10/3/05
    - 5/12/06, 5/13/06, 5/27/06, 5/28/06, 5/30/06, 6/1/06, 6/3/06, 6/23/06, 7/22/06, 7/23/06, 12/2/06, 12/9/06
    - 8/2/07, 8/5/07
    - 6/19/08, 6/20/08, 6/22/08, 6/24/08, 6/25/08, 6/27/08, 6/28/08, 6/30/08, 7/1/08
    - 8/23/09, 8/24/09, 9/21/09, 9/22/09, 10/27/09, 10/28/09, 10/30/09, 10/31/09
    - 5/15/10, 5/17/10, 5/18/10, 5/20/10, 5/21/10, 10/23/10, 10/24/10
    - 9/11/11, 9/12/11
    - 10/18/13, 10/21/13, 10/22/13, 11/30/13, 12/4/13
  • AmentsChick
    AmentsChick Posts: 6,969
    Phantom Pain wrote:
    How come we say the word HEARD

    But a man has BEARD its not pronounced BIRD


    Hmmmmmmmm

    Yeah!!!! And how come "read" and "read" are spelled the same but pronounced differently?

    I read a book last week.

    I'm going to read a book tonight.
    This is the greatest band in the world -- Ben Harper

  • Rhinocerous Surprise
    Rhinocerous Surprise Posts: 4,423
    I'll tell you what really annoys me. The word "iron". We pronounce it completely wrong, like it should be spelled "i-urn". This is what makes every last English speaker on Earth, myself included, skanks. We should submit to the monkeys. :)
    Smokey Robinson constantly looks like he's trying to act natural after being accused of farting.
  • AmentsChick
    AmentsChick Posts: 6,969
    imalive wrote:
    ^^^^ that's funny... :D

    ...but here's the rule...

    3. If the word ends in a vowel plus -y (-ay, -ey, -iy, -oy, -uy), add an -s to the word.

    tray--trays
    key--keys

    4. If the word ends in a consonant plus -y, change the -y into -ie and add an -s to form the plural.

    enemy--enemies
    baby--babies

    That makes sense. But, again...as a VERY wise man once said, "Never let the truth get in the way of a good story".
    This is the greatest band in the world -- Ben Harper

  • Solat13
    Solat13 Posts: 6,996
    AmentsChick wrote:
    Yeah!!!! And how come "read" and "read" are spelled the same but pronounced differently?

    I read a book last week.

    I'm going to read a book tonight.

    It's because read is an irregular verb.

    When the verb "read" is in the present tense or used as an infinitive it's got the long "e".

    When it's used in the imperfect and perfect tense it has the short "e".
    - Busted down the pretext
    - 8/28/98
    - 9/2/00
    - 4/28/03, 5/3/03, 7/3/03, 7/5/03, 7/6/03, 7/9/03, 7/11/03, 7/12/03, 7/14/03
    - 9/28/04, 9/29/04, 10/1/04, 10/2/04
    - 9/11/05, 9/12/05, 9/13/05, 9/30/05, 10/1/05, 10/3/05
    - 5/12/06, 5/13/06, 5/27/06, 5/28/06, 5/30/06, 6/1/06, 6/3/06, 6/23/06, 7/22/06, 7/23/06, 12/2/06, 12/9/06
    - 8/2/07, 8/5/07
    - 6/19/08, 6/20/08, 6/22/08, 6/24/08, 6/25/08, 6/27/08, 6/28/08, 6/30/08, 7/1/08
    - 8/23/09, 8/24/09, 9/21/09, 9/22/09, 10/27/09, 10/28/09, 10/30/09, 10/31/09
    - 5/15/10, 5/17/10, 5/18/10, 5/20/10, 5/21/10, 10/23/10, 10/24/10
    - 9/11/11, 9/12/11
    - 10/18/13, 10/21/13, 10/22/13, 11/30/13, 12/4/13
  • AmentsChick
    AmentsChick Posts: 6,969
    *NOTE*

    I guess I should've clarified straightaway. This thread was meant to be in fun and definitely not to be taken so seriously. That is all.
    This is the greatest band in the world -- Ben Harper

  • Phantom Pain
    Phantom Pain Posts: 9,876
    AmentsChick wrote:
    *NOTE*

    I guess I should've clarified straightaway. This thread was meant to be in fun and definitely not to be taken so seriously. That is all.

    You've aroused the English Majors

    Play at your own risk

    MUAHAHAHAHA !!
    My drinking team has a hockey problem

    The ONLY thing better than a glass of beer is tea with Miss McGill



    A protuberance of flesh above the waistband of a tight pair of trousers
  • AmentsChick
    AmentsChick Posts: 6,969
    Phantom Pain wrote:
    You've aroused the English Majors

    Play at your own risk

    MUAHAHAHAHA !!

    Hey, I enjoy correct spelling and proper grammar as much as the next guy...but DUDE...I also enjoy a fun, light-hearted thread! :D
    This is the greatest band in the world -- Ben Harper

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