Mouse

[goodbye_mr_bond]

The plural of "mouse"--the animal--is "mice."
What's the plural of "mouse" the computer device?

Don't check your dictionary, and go with your gut instinct.

I ask this question as a linguistic experiment--it's not spam. Thanks.

 

[neokruze]

i'd say.......mouses.

 

[GenghisK]

How can you use 2 of "these accessories" at the time on a same computer? <IMG SRC="http://forums.civfanatics.com/ubb/wink.gif" border=0>
But I'd say yes, it might be mouses. You're right it's paradoxical but I've never noticed that before. Probably because I've never bought a mouse in UK, just in France. <IMG SRC="http://forums.civfanatics.com/ubb/smile.gif" border=0>

Anyway, it's true there are such "stupidities" in French language to. Good notice 007.

Nota: I think, although the "mouse" word was originally choosen by the Xerox laboratories (and not Apple) because the first mouse ever created had the wire on the back, like a real mouse, the "mouse" word used in computer vocabulary has become an independant word by itself. It sounds like the animal but it's a different word. Hence the plural.
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<IMG SRC="http://www.ifrance.com/genghisk/GKultima.gif" border=0>

[This message has been edited by GenghisK (edited June 20, 2001).]

 

[scorch]

hmmmm

i don't care the end


qoute my mum:

"it annoys me how they call them mice.... im mean.. what a stupid name. Naming a computer part after a rodent .... blah blah blah blahb lbahblabh..."

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[Loaf Warden]

I think I read somewhere that the official plural is 'mouse units', thus avoiding the whole issue.

However, if I had to choose one, I would go with 'mouses'.

Why?

Because it has long since become a separate word from the animal and now functions independently. And the trend (at least in English; probably in other languages too) is for new words to be regular rather than irregular. The original 'mouse' is irregular because it follows old rules, but new words almost invariably follow current rules. Thus, the new word 'mouse', meaning the computer part, should pluralize as a regular word by simply adding an S, hence, 'mouses'.

 

[Lefty Scaevola]

"Love to eat them little mousies
little mousies what I love to eat
love to bite they little heads off
and nibble on they little feet"

Klibain

 

[goodbye_mr_bond]

Originally posted by Loaf Warden:
And the trend (at least in English; probably in other languages too) is for new words to be regular rather than irregular.

Ahhh, you've no idea how this has been bugging me for the past three days. This kind of stuff keeps me up at night you know...

Thank you thank you thank you! You're absolutely right, of course (and I just knew my reaction would be "yes, of course, why didn't I think of that?" Which it was.

 

[Warlord56]

I say it doesn't matter becasue nobody who's not in the computer business uses more than one mouse on a regular basis.

 

[Magnus]

The answer is simple. Just ask Jinxy the cat!... <IMG SRC="http://forums.civfanatics.com/image_uploads/kitty.gif" border=0>

"I hate those Meeses to pieces!"

[This message has been edited by Magnus (edited June 22, 2001).]

 

[drake]

Cool cat Magnus

I sort this question under

"Who really gives a crap?"

Whats wrong with calling them mice anyway? Thats what I would call them.

 

[scorch]

ha, on that subject, check out these two programs

MouseCount

Mouse Odometer


they are very cool!

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[scorch]

Originally posted by drake:

Whats wrong with calling them mice anyway? Thats what I would call them.

i don't care, my mum does.

 

[xeven_god_of_helsibahr]

I agree with Lefty. Mouses is most likely the plurel of mouse. But another plurel of mouse that I might suggest: Mouse Units...