A foreign plural is a noun borrowed from another language that has kept its original plural form rather than adapt the usual English plural ending of -s.
Words borrowed from classical Greek and Latin have tended to keep their foreign plurals in English longer than most other foreign borrowings.
-is → -es
analysis →analyses
crisis →crises /ˈkraɪ.siːz/
axis → axes
basis→ bases
hypothesis → hypotheses
parenthesis → parentheses
synopsis →synopses
thesis → theses
diagnosis → diagnoses
oasis → oases
-ix → -es
appendix →appendixes
index → indexes/indices
-um →-a
bacterium →bacteria
medium →media
datum →data
curriculum →curricula
symposium →symposia
-on →-a
phenomenon → phenomena
criterion → criteria
-us → -i
stimulus →stimuli
fungus →fungi
octopus →octopi (octopuses)
cactus → cacti (cactuses)
syllabus → syllabi (syllabuses)
-i →-us
alumni →alumnus
Exercises: Complete the words in brackets in their plural forms
1. The scientist conducted several ______________ (analysis) to determine the results.
2. Due to the economic downturn, multiple ______________ (crisis) have emerged globally.
3. The Earth rotates around its ______________ (axis).
4. The desert was dotted with many ______________ (cactus).
5. The legal case was decided on several important ______________ (basis).
6. The movie had several ______________ (synopsis) available online.
7. Scholars attended several ______________ (symposium) on the topic.
8. The student's ______________ (thesis) were all accepted for publication.
9. The Sahara has many ______________ (oasis) that sustain life.
10. The surgeon removed two ______________ (appendix) during the operation.
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