What is the plural of "hippopotamus"?

Question

Is it "hippopotami", or "hippopotamuses"? I have heard both used.

Answer 1

both hippopotami", or "hippopotamuses"

Answer 2

To find the correct plural ending we need to consider the origins of the word.
Hippopotamus comes from Greek hippos (ιππος) meaning horse and potamos (ποταμος) meaning river, stream or canal. So the animal is a ‘horse (of the) river’, or ‘river-horse’, which is a rather nice name!
Now we need the plural of ‘ποταμος’, which is ‘ποταμαι’ (potamai). Thus the plural of hippopotamus is hippopotami (last letter pronounced 'eye')
Of course if many people use hippopotamuses or hippopotamus as the plural, even though it is wrong, it will become correct. Correct language is the language which most people use most of the time.

Answer 3

I prefer the hippopotami plural to the hippopotamus or hippopotamuses personally.

Answer 4

Good question. Hippopatami was used in the past, but seems a bit too learned today. I would use "hippopotamus" as both a singular and a plural, like deer or fish. "HIppopotamuses" is awkward both to say and to write.

Answer 5

Hippopotami is the correct plural, but as English continues to change, the more common current usage is hippopotamuses.

Answer 6

the plural of the word hippopotamos is hippopotamuses

Answer 7

One entry found for hippopotamus.
Main Entry: hip·po·pot·a·mus
Pronunciation: "hi-p&-'pä-t&-m&s
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -mus·es or hip·po·pot·a·mi /-"mI, -(")mE/
Etymology: Latin, from Greek hippopotamos, alteration of hippos potamios, literally, riverine horse
: a very large herbivorous 4-toed chiefly aquatic artiodactyl mammal (Hippopotamus amphibius) of sub-Saharan Africa with an extremely large head and mouth, bare and very thick grayish skin, and short legs ; also : a smaller closely related mammal (Choeropsis liberiensis) of western Africa

Answer 8

The plural would be "hippopotamus"

Answer 9

"hippopotami"

Answer 10

check m-w.com

apparently, its both