Plural of Surnames

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Joshlamerritt

#280437 Fri, 13 Oct 06 10:02 PM

Thanks for taking the time to help me sort this out.

I would like to know what the correct plural of the surname "Lightfoot" is? I have a friend that refers to her family as "The Lightfeet" when referring to more than one person in her family. My opinion is that, assuming the name "Lightfoot" means "he who is light of foot", the correct plural name would be "those who are light of foot (Lightfoot or Lightfoots), not "those who are light of FEET (Lightfeet). However, her justification for using "Lightfeet" as the plural of her last name is from evidence she found by a 13 century Lightfoot who referred to his family in the plural as "The Lightfeet". Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any evidence to support my theory that just because someone from 13th century used the name in that way that one should therefore ignore what would seem to be common sense, and use modern day grammer when using the plural of a surname.

Any light that could be shed on this topic would be greately appreciated.

Josh

Joshlamerritt

Joined on Fri, Oct 13 2006

Orlando, Florida

New Member (01)

Plurals

Grammar Geek

#280440 Fri, 13 Oct 06 10:24 PM

Hi Josh,

Welcome to the forums. Although I agree with you comletely, you'll have a hard time on the forums finding someone who will tell you to tell you friend that she's wrong. We have to accept that some people will do things with their own names that make no sense, and if they want to use a "precedent" that is 700 years old to justify their silly actions, then we just have to let them. (I could imagine doing this in jest, but not to the point where I expect others to believe this the correct way to pluralize their name.)

Are the members of the Greenleaf family known collectively as the Greenleaves? Is the Tandy family the Tandies? We could, I suppose, have some fun with this.

I can only assure you that your instincts are completely in sync with mine, and hope that you will do better at curbing an urge to roll your eyes than I would in the same situation.

Grammar Geek

Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006

Pennsylvania, USA

Veteran Member (15,591)

Barbara, who answers in American English.

Plurals

Anonymous

#473104 Tue, 05 Feb 08 06:39 PM

when referring to more than one person in the lightfoot family the plural is lightfoots, lightfeet or lightfoote used to be differnt forms of spellings from the olden days when people were illirate. sorry have know proper evidence just opinon and common sense. when reffering to more than one thing an s is added on.

Anonymous

Plurals

Anonymous

#553421 Mon, 11 Aug 08 03:24 AM

Dude,
Funny that there should be any remaining doubt over that question. Actually, one of the greatest philologists of the twentieth century weighed in on the issue decades ago in a fictional oration since read by millions of people in dozens of languages worldwide. As Bilbo, in his farewell speech at the Birthday Party, clearly indicates above the protestations of the patriarch of the clan so designated, the plural is "Proudfoots," not "Proudfeet."
Aiya Encalima

Anonymous

Plurals