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140
As can be seen from the above list some loan nouns may have two plural forms: the English plural and the
original foreign one:
memorandum
memoranda
memorandums
focus
foci
focuses
curriculum
curricula
curriculums
formula
formulae
formulas
cherub
cheribum
cherubs
There is a tendency to use the regular English plural forms in fiction and colloquial English and the foreign
plural in academic or learned language.
Sometimes different plural forms have different meanings:
index
indexes (list of contents of books)
indices (a mathematical term - показатель)
genius
geniuses (men of talent)
genii (fabulous spirits guarding a place - духи, домовые)
§ 174. Plural in compound nouns
1. As a rule in compounds it is the second component that takes the plural form:
housewives, tooth-brushes, boy-scouts, maid-servants.
2. Compounds in -ful have the plural ending at the end of the word:
handfuls, spoonfuls, mouthfuls, (though spoonsful and mouthsful are also possible).
3. Compounds in which the first component is man or woman have plurals in both first and last
components:
men-servants, women-doctors, gentlemen-farmers.
4. Compounds ending in
-man change it into -men in spelling. In pronunciation, however, there is no
difference between the singular and plural forms, both having [?]:
policeman [?n] - policemen [?n].
Such nouns as German, Roman, Norman are not compounds, and therefore they have regular plurals:
Germans, Romans, Normans.
5. In compounds originating from a prepositional noun phrase where the preposition is a linking element
only the first noun takes the plural form: