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Daily Haiku Thread!
cesium133:
I will play Tetris.
Oh good, a long piece falling
But please don't fall there.
questionablydiscontent:
--- Quote from: cesium133 on 25 Oct 2013, 09:51 ---I will play Tetris.
Oh good, a long piece falling
But please don't fall there.
--- End quote ---
Why won't this piece turn?
The controller's not working
And my game is doomed
Akima:
--- Quote from: pwhodges on 24 Oct 2013, 14:28 ---In case you actually want an answer, Japanese doesn't in general have plural forms. However, when a word is borrowed into English, it is usual to treat it in an English manner - so haikus would be correct (and is indeed listed in the OED).
--- End quote ---
Do the English say animes, mangas, or samurais? My dictionary lists haiku first as a plural, with haikus as an alternative. Considering how many English words have no plural form (sheep, deer, cod, fish, haddock, buffalo, salmon, swine, trout, aircraft etc.) I see no reason not to follow Japanese practice for nouns taken from their language.
pwhodges:
There is no consistency, really. I think I would instinctively say anime, manga, samurai, but haikus. It's a feeling about the extent to which a word has been naturalised into English (as opposed to merely borrowed, which I said before), and how far into common use it has come (most English would have no idea of the meaning of anime and manga). A word such as forum I would always pluralise as forums, and argue that fora is now an inappropriate usage - but I wouldn't consider criterions (of course, many people use criteria as singular now, and I have heard criterias for the plural). The word anime is a curious case, because that is derived from European roots anyway - but using the Japanese form emphasises the fact that the Japanese product is being talked about.
Incidentally, in your list of English words, fish is a curious case. It is used in that form as a collective plural; but one can also say fishes naturally in some contexts.
ReDeath:
Holiday looms soon,
Presenteeism abound,
No work will be done.
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