Why is the plural of octopus octopi?

When “octopus” was first mentioned in the English language in the mid-1700s, it was pluralized as “octopuses.” That said, some grammarians wanted English to be like the less irregular Latin language, so they started putting Latin pluralizations on Latin-based English words, which led to “octopi.”

What is a group of Jaguars called?

prowl
A group of jaguars is a “prowl” or a “leap.” That just makes sense, so I didn’t look too much further.

What is the name for a group of hyenas?

CACKLE
1. A CACKLE OF HYENAS. While clan is the much more accepted term, there’s something very appropriate about cackle.

Do octopi lay eggs?

Female octopuses lay their eggs and painstakingly weave them together into strands. The giant Pacific octopus can lay tens of thousands of eggs in her one and only brood. It only takes two or so octopuses out of each clutch to survive and reproduce to keep an octopus population steady.

How do octopus mate?

Octopus vulgaris has individuals of both sexes. During mating, the male approaches the female, who fends him off for a while, but then accepts him. He sits next to her or mounts her, inserting the hectocotylus in her mantle cavity to pass the spermatophores. They may copulate for several hours.

What’s the difference between octopus and octopi?

An octopus is a cephalopod mollusk of the order Octopoda. The word octopi refers to more than one of those animals. Despite its relatively common usage, octopi is an improper plural. Latin words are sometimes pluralized with an -i, but octopus originates from Greek, not Latin.

Which is correct octopuses or octopi?

Octopi is the oldest plural of octopus, coming from the belief that Latin origins should have Latin endings. Octopuses is the next plural, which gives the word an English ending to match its adoption as an English word.

What is group of monkeys called?

• Monkeys: a barrel or a troop.

What is a group of donkeys called?

A group of donkeys is called a drove.