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The plural of genius

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This question is Not Answered. Latest post 1 yr 330 days ago by Clive. 27 replies.
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niallj  [More info]

Plural of genius

Yesterday's Staurday Telegraph caused me to question my current belief, that it is in fact genii, not geniuses. Could anyone give me any guidance on this matter?
niallj+0
Joined on Sun, Jun 12 2005
New Member 01
+1 julielai  [More info]
Plural of genius is geniuses.

Genii: pl. Roman Mythology. A tutelary deity or guardian spirit of a person or place. (Source: dictionary.com)
julielai+9
Joined on Sun, Oct 24 2004
Senior Member 3,907
Just another blogger (http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/julie-lai)
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+1 ranchhand  [More info]
Googled www:

1,090,000 English pages for "geniuses".

126,000 English pages for "genii".


Googled UK pages only:

65,400 for "geniuses".

14,300 for "genii".
ranchhand+0
Joined on Sun, May 15 2005
Junior Member 81
+1 MrPedantic  [More info]
To judge by the first few pages on Google, most of the hits for 'genii' don't relate to 'the plural of genius'.

As Julielai says, 'geniuses' is the usual plural.

MrP
MrPedantic+11
Joined on Tue, Oct 12 2004
Veteran Member 12,705
...opella forensis / adducit febris...
+1 pieanne  [More info]
I thought the plural of "genius" was "mods mods mods mods"?

(Sorry, sorry, couldn't help it)
pieanne+0
Joined on Thu, Jan 20 2005
South of France ...But I'm Belgian!
Veteran Member 7,461
I'm glad to help, but I'm not a native! And please excuse my typos...
+1 julielai  [More info]
Big Smile [:D] Big Smile [:D] Big Smile [:D] Big Smile [:D] Big Smile [:D] Big Smile [:D] Big Smile [:D] Big Smile [:D]
julielai+9
+1 pieanne  [More info]
[bow]
pieanne+0
+1 by Anonymous [More info]
Found this page by researching the same question, then researched a  little more.

Currently, popularly, no, but originally, maybe, yeah.

http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=genius

Maybe it would be better to say that genius is the singular of both geniuses and genii. I've always thought the genii of legend were probably related to a genius loci.

 
+1 by Anonymous [More info]
was just wondering myself


perhaps no one was never meant to know.


perhaps there's only supposed 2b one
 
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