I haven't read Eats, Shoots & Leaves but...

Slice

I wasn't sure where to post this, it was a toss-up between this forum and the Business forum so here it is.

This is anal rentativeness at it's best but does anyone else notice how often the word euro is used incorrectly?

You know what I'm talking about - where an s is added to the end of the word to imply there is more than one; euros

If multiple euro can be described as euros then one euro would be euri - which it isn't.

I see it everywhere - written and spoken. Sky News doesn't surprise me, but then I see it in practically every newpaper I set eyes on.

I think I might have figured out why; Microsoft Word's spell-check actually corrects euro and changes it to euros.

WTF!?

monkeyfudge

You've also got to take into account that 'Euro' is an international word and not every country pluralises in the same way.

Technically 'Euro' is the plural of 'Euro' for this very reason.

'Cent' shouldn't become 'Cents' either.

Slice

I really thought I was the only one who noticed. I'm so sure Microsoft's Word programme is responsible for most of this, but having made a quick effort this morning to see if there was anyway of telling them through the internet my opinions about them being a big faceless corporation were sadly confirmed...

Talliesin

There was a mistake in the English plural being set at one point to "Euro". However the general rule was that normal pluralisation rules of a language should be used, so the plural is indeed "Euros" and this has been accepted by the European Commissioner.

Saying that "Euros" suggests a singular of "Euri" makes me wonder what your first language is. In English we pluralise words ending in -o by either adding an s or adding es. Hence one would expect the singular of "Euros" to be "Euro", just as one does not expect the singular of cellos to be celli.

Slice

I didn't realise I needed to clarify this but in case it's in any doubt my English happens to be fluent.

When it comes to units of measurement in Standard English I think it's more common to use the same word to express the plural as it is the singular isn't it?

If cent is still cent when we're expressing more than one then wouldn't it imply that the same stands for euro in both plural and singular? The two should tally because they are measuring the same thing, but in different units...

To say five euro, fifty cent seems correct
To say five euros, fifty cent less so

Slice

My point wasn't really about the validity of the s-less euro in the plural because this was assumed.

Perhaps this clears it up...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistic_issues_concerning_the_euro

Talliesin

Slice wrote:

My point wasn't really about the validity of the s-less euro in the plural because this was assumed.

Assumed why? Given that this was a matter of some debate at various levels of government it seems not to be something one can assume.

Slice wrote:

Perhaps this clears it up...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistic_issues_concerning_the_euro

It does point out your error regarding units of measurement, stating that the use of the singular in usage as a measurement does not preclude the use of the plural when referring to a number of items; "5 Euro a head" is correct, but so is "I have 5 Euros in my wallet".

See also http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000039.htm

That said, the debate wasn't on when the plural should be used, but what the plural should be.

I'm still completely confused by your "Euri" concept.

Wishbone Ash

Slice wrote:

When it comes to units of measurement in Standard English I think it's more common to use the same word to express the plural as it is the singular isn't it?

No!

Would you ask your milkman for 3 LITRE of milk?
Would you say you live 10 KILOMETRE from work?
Would you buy 25 KILOGRAM of potatoes?
Would you order 3 PINT of Guinness?

FlutterinBantam

As far as I was led to believe by the EU(and they should know) the accepted plural for EURO is EURO and CENT for CENT.

Thus, if I asked the price of that pair of Y-fronts I should be told"That item Sir, is 5 Euro 40 cent".Of course Euro,while pronounced Yooro in English speaking countries ,is pronounced EH- ÚÚ -RO in most non English speaking countries "AY ooh ro"

Remember the days of Pounds and pence???

Remember when you went in to Tommy's Wonderland of Value and asked the price of this bunch of Daffs?. "Dattle be teew pewand fahr dem"

So I says to meself "At least they will get the plural right when this EURO comes in"

I was frikken wrong!!!!!

ecksor

Would you ask a pimp for 4 sheeps?

monkeyfudge

As far as I'm concerned the Euro works the same way as the Yen when it comes to plurals.

And 'Yoyos' are bang out of order!

Slice

On euro notes the euro is depicted as s-less

Talliesin

The singular on notes so as to only require wordings for the two scripts officially used in the Euro zone (Latin and Greek) as opposed for all of the languages.

fly_agaric

Slice wrote:

I wasn't sure where to post this, it was a toss-up between this forum and the Business forum so here it is.

This is anal rentativeness at it's best but does anyone else notice how often the word euro is used incorrectly?

You know what I'm talking about - where an s is added to the end of the word to imply there is more than one; euros

Usually you make the plural in English by sticking an s on the end.
This rule is hardwired in our heads.
So when we come to a new makey-uppy word like "Euro" for our plasticy not-so-new currency, we apply the rule automatically even though some eurobureaucrats :mad: tell us the plural is actually "Euro" too!**

Slice wrote:

If multiple euro can be described as euros then one euro would be euri - which it isn't.

Why would it be "euri"? Are you not thinking of some special cases (like fungus/fungi) where the word comes from another language with different rules on forming the plural and we are still forming the plural as it would be formed in that language?

**posted without looking at the rest of the thread. Ignore if you want

FlutterinBantam

Look !! the plural of EURO is EURO

The plural of trout is trout

What's so terribly difficult about this????