Help me, people with access to dictionaries!

[thebitterguy]

What are the plural forms of these two words:

Ninja

Fruit

Thank you.

Comments

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Ninjers.

Freet.

[indefatigable42.livejournal.com]

I like those. They're right up there with boxen and shoon.

[indefatigable42.livejournal.com]

If ninja is a Japanese word, the plural is still ninja. As far as I know, Japanese doesn't have separate plural and singular forms for a noun. But it's pretty much been adopted into English, so if you're speaking English when you use it, you won't be faulted for saying ninjas.

I have to think about fruit a little longer. All I can say at the moment is that "Look at all that fruit" doesn't have the same meaning as "look at all those fruits".

[perich.livejournal.com]

The plural of fruit is "fruit" (e.g., "Look at all the fruit on her head!").

I'm not an Orientalist, but I believe ninja is similar.

[etherlad.livejournal.com]

What, like a gaggle of geese and a murder of crows?

A cornucopia of fruit, and a clusterfuck of ninja.

[indefatigable42.livejournal.com]

Those are collective nouns. ^^

[kaijugal.livejournal.com]

CLUSTERFUCK OF NINJA

*ROFL*!!!

I don't know who the hell you are, but I love you.

(I'm Angelina Jolie if it helps put your mind at ease any for fantasy purposes.) ^_~

[etherlad.livejournal.com]

I don't know who the hell you are, but I love you.

I'm someone who has entirely too much time on his hands. I'm afraid I'm married, but I'm always happy to have someone else hopelessly besotted with me. ;)

(I'm Angelina Jolie if it helps put your mind at ease any for fantasy purposes.) ^_~

Woowoo!

[thebitterguy]

That seems kinda appropriate from a Masquerade POV.

Grammar Gorilla, Attack!

[proemial.livejournal.com]

They are plurals, in their own qualifier.

For instance one apple is a fruit. Many apples are many fruit.

*however* if talking multiple kinds of a thing (say, apples, oranges and persimmons), you say fruits. Plural on the qualifer.

Fish (many barracuda), fishes (many types of fish)

Ninjas just sounds weird.

Re: Grammar Gorilla, Attack!

[waiwode.livejournal.com]

(S)he is correct!

Ninja is the correct Japanese plural, so should be used, however Merriam-Webster states that ninja is also correct.

So, my own rule is this:

Assassins are Ninja. Motorcycles are Ninjas. Everyone please adjust your reality accordingly.

Doug.

Re: Grammar Gorilla, Attack!

[whiteadelphi.livejournal.com]

What (s)he said.

And yeah, the Japanese don't tend to pluralise. Ninja is ninja, no matter whether they're one or many...

Re: Grammar Gorilla, Attack!

[thebitterguy]

So, would two types of apples be a group of fruits, or a bowl of fruit?

Re: Grammar Gorilla, Attack!

[proemial.livejournal.com]

You only really use the pluralized form of the plural (ie, fruits) if you are specifically talking about the categories, and generally only when dealing with less specific cases. In the case of types of apples, you'd still probably talk about apples.

English is odd that way.

[indefatigable42.livejournal.com]

Fruit is a "how much" noun instead of a "how many" noun. What's the plural of water?

If you are using the singular word to mean "a kind of fruit", as in "a tomato is a fruit", the plural is fruits. "Peppers and eggplants are also fruits."

[jadasc.livejournal.com]

Ninjoi and fruit.

[elizard100.livejournal.com]

I don't know officially what the answer is but I'm curious as to what you're planning with more than one ninja and a bunch of fruit.

[tfbretz.livejournal.com]

ninjb

frottuy

[creativedv8tion.livejournal.com]

Ninja's.

Fruit's.

[(Anonymous)]

Mr. Sulu had a twin?

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/28/people.georgetakei.ap/index.html

::B::