Date:  Fri, 22 Sep 1995 14:57:16 EDT

From:  Larry Horn <LHORN[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]YALEVM.CIS.YALE.EDU>

Subject: Re: Plural Proper Nouns



OK, OK, this discrimination has gone on for far too long...



>>Hi. I just wanted to add that I hate that crazy "change y to ies" rule.

>>As a matter of fact, I refused to observe it as an English major

>>undergraduate. Can we change it?

>>

>>Merri Lisa



>Sure! That's the great thing about living languages!

>Tom Uharriet



What is this business about a 'crazy change y to ies rule'? The -ies plurals

are perfectly fine and well-behaved. It's that crazy 'change -ies to -y in the

singular--BUT ONLY SOMETIMES; the rest of the time leave it as -ie' rule. What

we really SHOULD insist on is not reforming the -y -> -ie/___ + PLURAL rule,

unnatural as it undeniably is. But just think how it would simplify our lives

if we just regularized the singular! That way we would all know that the

singular of 'tardies' is 'tardie'.



Best,

Larrie