Sometimes we can’t remember the plural form of a word鈥攊s it hippopotamuses or hippopotami? (Hint: it can be either). But there are also those times when we鈥檙e so used to hearing the plural form of a word that we just can鈥檛 think of the singular.听
Even if we can remember the correct word, it tends to sound so odd and unfamiliar that we second guess ourselves. Don’t believe it?听Take a look at these uncommon and unusual singular nouns. You’ve probably never heard of a few!
spaghetto | spaghetti
Is there really such a thing as a spaghetto? Yep, you bet your meatballs there is. That鈥檚 what each of those noodles on your plate of spaghetti is called, believe it or not. The word spaghetti first appeared around 1885鈥�90 as a plural of the Italian word spaghetto, which is diminutive of 蝉辫补驳辞,听meaning 鈥渢hin rope.鈥澨�
kudo | kudos
When it comes to honor, glory, and acclaim, we say bring it on in droves or in kudos. But one such recognition is nothing to sneeze at either. It鈥檚 just that we call that a kudo without the S. Most people just use kudos no matter the case. For example, your boss may give you a kudo for a project, and if your coworker also gives you a kudo, you can say you got kudos. And let us just say, 鈥淜udos to you!鈥澨�
First evidence of the word dates back to the 1800s, stemming from the Greek word (a singular noun)听办欧诲辞蝉 meaning 鈥減raise or renown.鈥� Kudo came about by back formation from the plural kudos.听
datum | data
Sometimes the more data you have, the better; other times it鈥檚 just one key datum that you need. Defined as 鈥渁 single piece of information, as a fact, statistic, or code; an item of data,鈥� it鈥檚 not a word we hear often, and data is typically used both as a plural and singular noun. In some cases鈥攏amely in surveying and civil engineering鈥�datums is used as the plural form of the word.
graffito | graffiti
Is it a crime? Is it art? In some cases these spray-painted markings, words, and photos we call graffiti may be both. While we鈥檙e likely to call one and all such displays graffiti, the fact is that if there鈥檚 just one, it鈥檚 technically known as a graffito.听
The word, which dates back to 1850鈥�55, comes from the Italian word with the same spelling, graffito, meaning 鈥渋ncised inscription or design,鈥� a derivative of graffiare meaning 鈥渢o scratch.鈥澨�
alga | algae
Together these 鈥済roups of chlorophyll-containing, mainly aquatic eukaryotic organisms鈥� are known as algae, but isolate just one of them, and you have an alga (pronounced al-guh).听The word comes from the Latin word with the same spelling, which means 鈥渟eaweed.鈥澨�
paparazzo | paparazzi
One paparazzo may be manageable for celebs, but when hordes of paparazzi come out in droves with their cameras flashing, trying to get shots of their every move, it鈥檚 got to be overwhelming 鈥� and kind of cool, if we鈥檙e being honest.听
The word, which sprung into our vocabularies around 1965鈥�70, comes from Italian. It was the surname of a photographer in the Federico Fellini film听La Dolce Vita. Fellini reportedly plucked the name from a book (By the Ionian Sea) that features a hotel owner named Coriolano Paparazzo.
confetto | confetti
One piece of confetto would be fine to pick up after festivities. It鈥檚 confetti that can make someone go mad. (All those pieces of the colorful paper stick to every possible surface!)听
First evidence of the word dates back to 1805-15, stemming from the Italian word use of听confetti, which is a type of candy. You see, the Italians used to throw candies at one another during their carnivals. Eventually, the tradition evolved to people throwing little pieces of paper instead, which isn鈥檛 as tasty, but better for one鈥檚 teeth (if not the environment).
die | dice
More than one family game night has erupted into debate over this difference, so we鈥檒l settle it once and for all. If you鈥檙e rolling dice, there should be more than one. If there鈥檚 only one, you鈥檙e rolling a die.听
First evidence of the word to describe these fun little cubes dates back to 1300鈥�50, stemming from the words dees, dis, and dyce, which were used as both singular and plural nouns and dyces, a plural form. They came from the Old French words deiz and 诲茅蝉 (plural). Which leads us to wonder … did the French also debate which one is the plural and singular, just like we do?
Turns out there are also a lot of strange and irregular plurals as well, check them out here!
English takes many twists and turns actually, including these misleading terms you鈥檝e been using wrong, with good reason.
