[K12OSN] Plural of Virus (was Antivirus program for Linux)

[Jeff Kinz]

If you want, you can consider this email part of my campaign to
"legitimize" "viri/i".  :)

On Wed, Aug 11, 2004 at 12:42:58PM -0400, Henry Hartley wrote:
> Jeff Kinz wrote:
> > Both virus and viri are correct and will be understood. (despite my
> > enormous respect for Rick Moen)
> > 
> > Viri may be better because its shorter.
> > 
> > Correct language usage is always determined by common usage and common
> > usage is always, everchanging.

> The proper plural of virus is viruses. Viri is not correct and won't
> be for some time (if ever). Understandable, yes. Correct, no.

Not correct according to what authority/reference?

It is clear that the "correct" usage of all languages change over time
and that ALL static references, (printed dictionaries for example), are
out of date before they are even published.  Words come into vogue and
go out of vogue, in fact, before they even have time to appear in
references printed on paper.

The most important Criteria - Be understood -   is clearly met, since
you admit viri will be understood.

The distinction/correctness of "viruses" will only matter to
prescriptive grammarians who do not understand the role of grammar.

Grammar is the study of HOW language is used.  Not, "HOW IT MUST BE"
used.  Talk to a linguist about this distinction.  Grammar is not
supposed to dictate how we speak, it is supposed to describe how 
we speak.  Sometimes it needs to play catch up.

Usage counts:
The viri/virii forms are coming on strong, and increasing exponentially.
The trend is clear.  The shorter form will clearly displace the longer
and more difficult to use in speech form over time.  

2 syllables as opposed to 3.  This is a common path of language
development.  Compare helicopter to chopper. 

Due to usage viri/i is now substantially as correct as "viruses" and it
sounds better to boot.  Thats just one of the reasons it is overtaking
viruses in common usage.  

Google currently sees :
	viri/i:   172900 pages
	viruses: 4100000 pages
Yes - currently viruses has the majority , but the growth trend
of the viri/i form is clearly going to overtake that majority.  Consider
that 10 years ago, viri/i had virtually no presence.  As we all know, 
exponential growth patterns accelerate incredibly.

> If "common usage" were the only criterion and if email and
> Usenet were a significant source of "common usage" then the distinction
> between they're/their/there, to/too, its/it's, etc. would have disappeared
> long ago.  They have not.  

These examples you give here are homophones.  Word that sound alike, but
which have different meanings and different spelling.

Since the primary purpose of printed languages is to represent the spoken 
language which preceded it and defines it, can you see any problems with this?

When I worked for Dragon Systems on their speech recognition software we
did extensive work on how to process and determine homophone identity.
It is clear that these words, though spelled differently, ARE all the
same word.  The accident of of language evolution which caused them to
be spelled differently but be pronounced the same is just another
example of the many problems of English language.  (Other languages
have these probs too, but English seems to be particularly full of them)

> > One of my favorite quotes:
> > "If anybody ever tells you that you're using the language incorrectly,
> > just yell 'prescriptive grammarian!' at the top of your voice and all
> > the linguists in the building will run over and surround the guy' and
> > then they'll rough him up."
> 
> Words matter.  What you say and how you say it will determine how you are
> judged by others.  

Lets see - I was a technology analyst for IDC sometime back. Earned
my living by writing. 

Yes, words do matter.  Prescriptive grammar doesn't necessarily.


> explaining how language changes and says that if enough intellectuals use a
> word incorrectly long enough it becomes common usage and then is considered
> correct.  Dogbert replies that what we need is smarter intellectuals.

I don't have any aspirations to become Dogbert. :)

-- 
Linux/Open Source.  Now all your base belongs to you, for free.
============================================================
Idealism:  "Realism applied over a longer time period"

Jeff Kinz, Emergent Research, Hudson, MA.