Grammar alert: Plurals of English nouns with Greek or Latin roots

Is ‘media’ singular or plural? 

Would it be correct to say: Managerial excellence is an important criteria?

Which plural should I use: referenda or referendums?

Read our post below to find it out.

There is a small group of nouns in English which are of Greek or Latin origin. For example: an analysis, a criterion, a stimulus.  

These nouns still form plurals in the same way as they did in Latin or Greek. Let us focus on the most common nouns of this type and divide them into 5 groups.

Group 1   -is [ɪs] ending in the singular      -es [iːz] ending in the plural

               a crisis                                       crises

               an analysis                                 analyses

Group 2   -on ending in the singular      - a ending in the plural

               a criterion                                 criteria

               a phenomenon                          phenomena

Group 3   - um in the singular                   -a in the plural

               a datum                                    data

               a medium                                  media

               a referendum                             referenda

               a stratum                                  strata

Group 4   -us in the singular                     -i [ai] in the plural

                a focus                                        foci [ˈfəʊsaɪ]

                a stimulus                                   stimuli

                a syllabus                                    syllabi

Group 5   -ex\ix in the singular                 -ices in the plural

                an index                                    indices  [ˈɪndɪsiːz]

                an appendix                              appendices [əˈpendɪsiːz]

This is a very short list but a quick look at it is enough to understand that remembering all these exotic plurals poses quite a challenge even to native speakers. 

Therefore, some of these nouns have developed native plurals, for example, a focus – focuses, an appendix- appendixes, a referendum – referendums and you will sound more natural and less pretentious if you say referendums instead of referenda and syllabuses instead of syllabi. 

BUT some nouns haven’t acquired native plural forms.

Below is the list of nouns the original plurals of which you MUST remember.

a crisis (crises), 

an analysis (analyses),

a criterion (criteria),

a phenomenon (phenomena), 

a stimulus (stimuli), 

a datum (data),

a medium (media).

The last two nouns are tricky for students of English because their plural forms – DATA and MEDIA – are becoming uncountable and therefore can be used with a singular verb.

Let us have a look at the examples with ‘data’ and ‘media’ from Oxford Learner’s Dictionary http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/:

DATA:

The historical data IS incomplete.

Data INDICATES that most crime is committed by young males.

This data REFLECTS the magnitude of the problem.

There IS very little reliable data available.

The data WAS collected from 67 countries.

MEDIA:

They believe that the media IS biased against them.

The media WAS accused of influencing the final decision.

There is another interesting trend to use forms ‘criteria’ and ‘phenomena’, which are plural, as singular nouns. This trend is not strong yet, but it exists.

To illustrate this point, we will give you two examples:

‘This is AN essential CRITERIA to apply when we are deciding which beliefs to adopt’. ( from ‘Philosopher’s Way’ by John Chaffee Pearson 2016)

He says the collapse of the Larsen B Ice Shelf could be A regional PHENOMENA. (from usatoday.com)

Our tip for you is to know the rules but at the same time to notice how words are used in modern English. Of course, you won’t be patted on your back if your write in your term paper: ‘a phenomena’ because you are expected to know that it is a plural form but keep your eyes open for language changes and be aware of the fact that such uses already exist though they are not common yet.

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