FabSwingers.com forum: The plural of orifice..

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

Is orifices. Apart from when my brain tells me it isn't...no matter what I tried, it just didn't sound right. Surely it should be orifii...or orifici or orificii. Or some other nonsense.

I have honestly no idea why my brain started thinking this at 2am..

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By *onhorMan
over a year ago

here

Shame you didn't have internet access. Could have googled it and got some sleep.

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By *ee VianteWoman
over a year ago

Somewhere in North Norfolk

"Is orifices. Apart from when my brain tells me it isn't...no matter what I tried, it just didn't sound right. Surely it should be orifii...or orifici or orificii. Or some other nonsense.

I have honestly no idea why my brain started thinking this at 2am.."

It sounds like it should, which I suspect is because it's from Latin, originally, (orificium).

It came into English via French though which can feck up plurals and make things seem wrong.

That's my guess.

Ask Joe, or maybe Steve. They may have thoughts on it.

As for why you wonder weird stuff at 2am, I've no clue. I do it too and sometimes it's very annoying.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Look up the etymology of the word in a good dicktionary first. It's many years since my GCSE Latin but I suspect in Latin the word, which would not have had the English ending, may have taken the plural -ae ending - orificiae. Sorry, I can't be bothered to look it up but good luck. Do post if you figure it out!

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By *callycatMan
over a year ago

Mid Wales

...it's holes....why make life difficult?

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By *iamondjoeMan
over a year ago

Glastonbury

Interesting.

My etymological dictionary tells me that orifice derives from Latin, the same root as oral, "os" (mouth).

Plural of orifice is orifices.

Sorry to be dull.

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By *ee VianteWoman
over a year ago

Somewhere in North Norfolk

I have a medical dictionary here that defines the plural of orifice as orificia. It (the dictionary) is what would be described on here as "mature" though.

My Latin is pretty much nonexistent but I think orificia fits with it being from orificium?

My dictionary says it's orifices though.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Ah but is an orifice the opening or the space behind the opening...

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