View Full Version : Mouses or mice?
I just had an argument, this is to decide it....
1 Mouse, 2 ???
Shabbaman
10-09-2003, 15:09
At least that's what they taught me in the first grade.
jack merchant
10-09-2003, 15:37
Mice. You need to ask a Dutch-dominated forum this ? ;)
heh - not that I necessarily agree with it, but here is the argument for calling them 'mouses':
If they invented a new input device and called it a 'sheep', would you get 3 sheeps or 3 sheep? If you say '3 sheep', then it is only from historical use of the word 'sheep'. You have however already changed the meaning of the word by calling a new input device after it: you have created a new noun with the same name as a fluffy animal. Who says the plural form has to match as well?
As I understand it, the plural form of 'mouse' (eaten by cat variety) does not follow any given rules of grammer - it is just an abnormality of the English language. As such, why should an input device of the same name follow the same abnormal rule - why not follow the usual rules of English grammar, and call them 'mouses'?
I guess I should have mentioned that I am not after a grammer lesson, but rather the reasoning behind the grammer itself. ;)
Lt. Killer M
10-09-2003, 16:25
LOL anarres, you have too much time to think ;)
btw, I today saw an interesting plural form for 'Schlüssel' (key): 'Schlüssels' - that's kinda like saying 'keyers' in English----
DrAlimentado
10-09-2003, 16:32
Mice is the plural of Mouse.
DrAlimentado
10-09-2003, 16:44
There are more exceptions to the rules of english grammer than words that actually follow them ;)
I am firmly of the belief that 'correct useage' is modified by common useage. When enough people use mouses instead of mice for the plural of mouse (input device) then I'll agree that it is correct :)
Do you agree with the notion of standardising the English language btw?
WildFire
10-09-2003, 20:13
Its micen.
[:p]
I would say mouses. Mice is for living things, err.. mice I mean.
But looking at the poll, I see I drifting away from reality once again! ;)
jack merchant
10-09-2003, 21:26
On second thought, who really gives a damn ! [confused]
So you asked for it... :D[hammer]
quote:Originally posted by anarres
If they invented a new input device and called it a 'sheep', would you get 3 sheeps or 3 sheep?
[hmm]
I always want to get three cheap!
But as input device, I'd prefer to keep my mice over the newly invented type of devouse called "sheep". Those sheeps may be sheeper than mouses, but I suspect that such a sheep might loose a hair once in a while.
You know, two much hares lying around can really fuck up the functionality of your balls.
btw, this is where my problem starts: if I put a genitive plural form of mouse before "balls" in the above, would it be
1. "mice's balls"
2. "mice' balls"
3. "mice balls"
4. and if "mouses" become popular:
"mouses's balls"
5. imagine some choices here
...
X. "mouf ballf" (somebody removed your teeth, or, for the record, tooth - if that was already your last one)
:D
seriously, I voted "mice" & kind of like such polls/discussions [goodjob]
quote:"mouses's balls"[rotfl]
Lt. Killer M
11-09-2003, 02:01
Jeez, Grille, you make me not only laugh hard but also glad that my family comes from the 'right' side of the 'Kaiser-Willem-Kanahhhhl' ;)
quote:Originally posted by Lt. Killer M
LOL anarres, you have too much time to <s>th</s>drink ;)
Sir Eric
11-09-2003, 08:53
I like to pronounce them.... TASTY.
I voted mice and I totalle agree with Grille. [lol]
Darkness
11-09-2003, 13:04
quote:Originally posted by ProPain
I voted mice and I totalle agree with Grille. [lol]
Me too :D
Talking about mice (see where my vote went), do you translate the word for the name of the said cat food in your language or what?
In Romanian we just say 'mouse' and use 'moushi' as plural (maybe I should have chosen the third option of the poll) by adding the usual plural of a Romanian word ending in 's'.
Some literates (not in computers) said we should use ‘shoareché’ (adapting Romanina pronounciation to English spelling) just like the French use ‘souris’, and others say we should use a shorter name like ‘pârsh’ (no English equivalent for the ‘â’ character) which is something between a squirrel and a mouse but sounds ‘cool’.
Your thoughts?
In the netherlands we use 'muis' for mouse. 'muis' is a translation of mouse, being both the catfood and input device. We dont have any problems with the plural form because 'muis' has a regular plural 'muizen'in dutch and not some weird equivalent of mice. But due to the input device being called 'muis' we have a new verb 'muizen' which translates as 'to mouse'
jack merchant
11-09-2003, 16:22
Bah, the French have it easy then - isn't 'souris' also the plural of 'souris' ?
"Mouses"?!? http://www.smilies.nl/eek3.gif
Even while I'm not native English it sounds/looks very silly. Anyway, I'm also taught that it's "mice". ;)
Lt. Killer M
12-09-2003, 18:38
btw, the correct answer is 'micicles' or 'mousicley', for tool and animal, respectively ;)
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