Why do people say English is hard?

[kaitlynethylia@void.lgbt]

Why do people say English is hard? It's such an easily language


Oh by the way here's a list of all the different types of plural that I can think of:
-a / -ae (formula / formulae)
-ø / -(e)s (cat / cats)
-ø / -ø (sheep / sheep)
-ø / -en (ox / oxen)
-ø / -eren (child / children)
-us / -i (cactus / cacti)
-is / -es (analysis / analyses)
-um / -a (datum / data)
-on / -a (phenomenon / phenomena)
-ix / -ices (radix / radices)
-ex / -ices (index / indices)
-eau / -eaux (bureau / bureaux)
ablaut (man / men)

[peachymist@labyrinth.zone]

@KaitlynEthylia the singular of data is datum??

[kaitlynethylia@void.lgbt]

@peachymist In some (often older) use. These days it's most commonly treated like a mass noun / uncountable noun, meaning it doesn't have grammatical number

[kaitlynethylia@void.lgbt]

@peachymist these days you're more likely to hear "data point" in place if datum

[count_01@mastodon.social]

@KaitlynEthylia How many people in my college anatomy class (beginning enrollment: 37) got the bonus question, "what is the term for a singular finger bone?"

I doubt it was many of us.

[kaitlynethylia@void.lgbt]

@count_01 finger bones are called Phalanges right? I would guess then that the singular is a Phalengis

[kaitlynethylia@void.lgbt]

@count_01 nevermind, holy fuck, I love that

[malachy@mastodon.nu]

@KaitlynEthylia

-oose / -eese (goose / geese)
-ouse/ -ice (mouse / mice)
-oof / -ooves (hoof / hooves)
-oot / -eet (foot / feet)

I think these ones are legacy of a completely different and ancient system of plurals, based on sound changes instead of suffix.

[kaitlynethylia@void.lgbt]

@malachy this is ablaut