Spelling issue

[numberland]

How do I explain why using 'baseis' as a plural of 'basis' is just wrong to one of my lecturers? Other then just saying it's not a choice, the English plural is 'bases'...

Comments

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Do you mean "baseis" as opposed to "basies"? I guess the points you can use in support to saying that the plural should be something are as many as possible of:

(i) Everyone else says that. This is apparently so.
(ii) Whoever used it first says that. I don't know, you could try looking that up.
(iii) Parallels. What are the most common plurals of words derived/spelt similarly? I should be able to think more about this one, but I'm tired.

[robert-jones.livejournal.com]

I don't see that it is "just wrong". "Basis" is a Greek word, and, as you no doubt know, "baseis" is the correct Greek plural. The plural "bases" is a Latinisation. The normal English plural rule would give "basises", which is admittedly rather a mouthful or (more plausibly) "basis". The only basis on which "bases" can be said to be correct is that it is established usage.

[cjp39.livejournal.com]

Uh, don't? Eccentricities are fun in a lecturer. Just mock him behind his back; that's the established tradition.

[numberland.livejournal.com]

This is because I've been correcting the notes and included this as a correction which he then disagreed with. Not a big deal, mainly just was trying to work out how to respond and unsure whether I ever would.