Plural of stadium is stadia--how?

Question

As far as I can figure out, -ium is a _plural_ Latin noun ending (One of the 3rd declensions or something like that). Why is stadium (or atrium or auditorium, etc.)a singular English word and stadia (or atria, auditoria, etc.) an acceptable plural form of that word?

Answer 1

Because it is a second declension neuter noun, where the singular ends in -um and the plural ends in -a. All neuter nouns in Latin end in -a. Opus, opera is a third declension neuter noun. Third declension nouns typically change their stem, which is why opus does not become opa in the plural. Nouns that end in -um are actually singular in Latin. Masculine nouns ending in -us have -i as the plural (radius, radii). Feminine nouns ending in -a have -ae as the plural (antenna, antennae).

Answer 2

Plural Of Stadium

Answer 3

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If referring to a classical stadium, i.e. a semi-circular running track then the plural is stadia. If referring to a modern-day multi-event stadium, then the plural is stadiums. Generally though both forms of the plural are acceptable.

Answer 4

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RE:
Plural of stadium is stadia--how?
As far as I can figure out, -ium is a _plural_ Latin noun ending (One of the 3rd declensions or something like that). Why is stadium (or atrium or auditorium, etc.)a singular English word and stadia (or atria, auditoria, etc.) an acceptable plural form of that word?

Answer 5

Because with many nouns that we borrowed from Latin in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, we borrowed the plural forms as well. This is not the only case where English has borrowed the plural forms, for example, the plural of cherub and seraph is cherubim and seraphim, where we borrowed the Hebrew plurals. Also note cactus/cacti, syllabus/syllabi, etc. In the late 20th century these borrowed plurals started to be adapted to English pluralization, so that cactuses, syllabuses, stadiums, etc. are becoming acceptable forms. media and data are plural forms, but they are starting to be interpreted as singulars, so that "the media are" and "the data are" are starting to show up as "the media is" and "the data is". These are natural processes of language change.

Answer 6

If the singular of "media" is "medium" why can't the plural of "stadium" be "stadia"?

We're speaking of latin, but the original word was greek, so I am stopping here!

I think stadiums is equally correct anyway.

Answer 7

You are assuming that the English language is logical. Good luck with that.

Answer 8

STADIUMS