They only weigh 0. And that, he feels, is what makes the study of the octopus mind so philosophically interesting. These species are widespread throughout the world's oceans. Stamper explains that throughout history, the word "octopus" has been pluralized as octopuses, octopi, and the more unusual octopodes. They’ve provided an answer to the “octopus v. De Eenfache Krake oder Slichte Krake (Octopus vulgaris), ok woll fökener bloß Oktopus (Plural Oktopoden) nömmt, höört to de Koppfööt, un dor to de Ornen vun de Kraken mit to. "Octopi" is a. Ever. it’s not. Since the three have similar singular endings, they must have similar plural forms. There is no one "right" answer per se. Because octopus comes from a Latin word that comes from a Greek word, the. 3. How do you refer to more than one octopus? People say everything from octopuses to octopi to octopodes. I am a developer and don't have full access to Octopus. SpongeBob SquarePants features an octopus, Squidward, as one of the main characters. Latin-wise it’s just absurd to get a single random ending like octopus (which would be a nominative) and use it everywhere, rather the speaker would have to figure out in advance if they’d have to say octopus, octopius, octopes, octopis, octope, octopi, octopum, octopo, and that’s just for the singular second declension. Octopuses are some of the only invertebrates to. Octopus is frequently given a Latin plural, yet the word derives its second root from Greek, not Latin (the english "foot" root from Latin is "pod" or "ped", while from Greek it is "pus"). ”The octopus does, in fact, have a central brain located between its eyes containing about 180 million neurons. You’ll be able to check whether you’ve received your referral credit via by logging onto your account and viewing your account dashboard - there will be an option to check your balance history, which will show any credit as +£50 from Octopus Energy. Share. Despite its name, the blue-lined octopus ( Hapalochlaena fasciata) is also a member. a sea…. Because the Octopus is a “remarkably, bright creature”-a bond is formed, but unfortunately, Tova is injured while helping the 60 pound Cephalopoda. Ah yes, I googled the plural of octopuses and chose the third option. Toggle navigation. The octopus holds the distinction of being the most intelligent of all invertebrate animals. The reason for the octopi plural is because some people mistakenly associate octopus with Latin words like syllabus and alumnus. 6 m) and shaken up and down to entice the octopus. All three of the plural forms, octopi, octopuses, are octopodes, are considered correct by some, but we favor octopuses! The earliest recorded plural form of octopus is “octopi” in the 19th century. noun Word forms: plural -puses. It ranges from the. The arms of the octopuses were still squirming and moving. The next plural form to be accepted as ‘octopuses,’ which gives the word an English ending. After all, similar words that end in -us are pluralized with an -i ending, like foci, loci or. Although most people use the word octopuses as the plural form of an octopus, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, ‘octopuses’ and ‘octopi’ are both correct and the plural of octopus. Even so, "octopi" is a misspelling based on a misconception. For example, our modern English word octopus comes from ancient Greek roots that describe a creature with eight legs (ὀκτώ or okto , meaning eight. Demand for octopus meat is increasing – the number of octopuses caught in the wild doubled between 1980 and 2014 – but commercial octopus farming has proved elusive. Octopuses is the standard plural form of octopus. Octopuses is the correct plural of octopus. Etymology: New Latin Octopod-, Octopus, from Greek oktOpous. Do you know all three plurals of octopus? A fascinating nugget of information, new every day. The common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) is a mollusc belonging to the class Cephalopoda. Simonime pentru Oktopus și traducerea Oktopus în 25 de limbi. Consequently, its “correct” plural form would logically. . How to say octopus. "This is such an exciting paper and a really significant step forward," says. The correct plural of “octopus” is “octopuses”. Octopus stems from the Greek word oktopous, and technically, Greek words ending in -pus (like platypus) should be made. About two thirds are located in its arms. The standard English plural of octopus is octopuses. I can't remember the exact sentence, but Skipper (the lead penguin) told one of the other penguins to "Take care of the octopi. With Tenor, maker of GIF Keyboard, add popular Octopus Meme animated GIFs to your conversations. [Aachener Zeitung, 23. die/der Krake des Kapitalismus ― the kraken of capitalism; Usage notes [edit]. Regular plurals of nouns are formed by adding -s, -es, or -ies to the singular (e. But “octopus” actually comes from Greek, where its original plural is “octopodes. "Octopi" is also an acceptable plural, and one in wide use, but you run the risk of being informed that it's incorrect. It follows the standard English rule of adding “-es” to the end of a word to make it plural. Once cool, remove the skin by rubbing it with a paper. The plural form “octopi” is a popular but incorrect usage that originated from the mistaken belief that “octopus” is a Latin word. ( rare) plural of octopus. a sea…. They can be identified by their yellowish skin and characteristic blue and black rings that can change color dramatically when the animal is. Octopus is likely a Latinized form of a Greek word. While “octopi” has become popular in modern usage, it’s wrong. SingularCR. See the full definition. Octopi is a basterdised plural form, created out of ignorance. 4-219. theguardian. Inholtsverteken. The next plural form to be accepted as ‘octopuses,’ which gives the word an English ending. Both of these words are past tense conjugations of the verb to dive. That specimen belongs to a species named. Many people. 5M subscribers in the thatHappened community. 6 to 22 lbs. This here is the What Ancient Mystery Card. Since these words take an -i plural in the original Latin, and since Latin has enjoyed such a. An octopus inside a jar in Indonesia. com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. In the. However, there’s a catch. As a fun octopus fact, you can't see an octopus' butthole since it's inside the mantle cavity. Both the octopus plurals “octopuses” and “octopi” are in common use. More exactly, the word "octopus", which defines a sea creature with eight long arms, doesn't even originate from"Octopi" is not a correct plural form of octopus in any sense. Copy. ” Also contrary to popular belief, the plural of octopus really isn’t octopi . One morning, while diving in a kelp forest off the coast of South Africa, Craig Foster noticed an unusual structure: a mound of seashells artfully stuck together, as though someone’s beach house decor had washed out to sea. figurative, often disapproving (organization with many arms) (figuré) pieuvre nf. Free UK p. An octopus is seen in a display tank at the aquarium in Jerusalem's Biblical Zoo November 7, 2018. Singular: shrimp, lobster, fish, squid, octopus Plural: clams, scallops, mussels, oysters, snails . The Greek plural would be octopodes, but scientists refer to them as octopuses. Finalist for the National Book Award for Nonfiction * New York Times Bestseller * A Huffington Post Notable Nonfiction Book of the Year * One of the Best Books of the Month on Goodreads * Library Journal Best Sci-Tech Book of the Year * An American Library Association Notable Book of the Year “Sy Montgomery’s The Soul of an Octopus. Octopus vulgaris is one of the most studied of all octopus species, and also one of the most intelligent. Laut Duden ist beides möglich. (Image credit: Shutterstock) Like Fox Mulder, I want to. The lures are hung to 480-720 feet (146. ” Tech. The most common area of the ocean for them to reside in happens to be along the coral reefs and ocean floor. just for fun! Subscribe: #BBCEarthWatch more: Plan. The noun "octopus" has a Greek root. Octopus is not a simple Latin word of the second declension, but a Latinized form of the Greek word oktopous, and its 'correct' plural would logically be octopodes. Reply more replies. Current usage ratio is estimated about 3:1 octopuses:octopi. Sure Jan, I totally believe you. According to the classical rule of creating plural forms of words in English, you should simply add an "s" to the ending of the word. The plural of octopus is octopuses not octopi "Octopuses is the standard plural form of octopus. “Octopus” already ends in an “s”, and to say “octopuses” sounds laboured and awkward, and besides, the correct plural is “octopi”. Is there any rule to decide they should be plural or singular? If the sea creature has shells, it would be a count noun. When using octopus in a sentence, it’s important to note that the plural form is octopuses, not. This prompted a long distance call from the more skeptical second author to the first, in the middle of one of those busy academic days, with the simple message "She's bouncing the. If you are talking about more than one octopus, three plural forms of the word are grammatically correct - octopuses, octopi, or octopodes. C. . They. It would be "octopi" only if it had come from. : octopuses or octopodes) is a soft-bodied, eight-limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (/ ɒ k ˈ t ɒ p ə d ə /, ok-TOP-ə-də). "Octopodes" is a Greek plural of an English word derived from an originally Greek word that was not "octopus". This is a place…Plural: debatable. The reason the plural of octopus is octopuses is because that's the English rule for pluralization, and people are unfamiliar with Greek pluralization. Teaching your community to swim with confidence through experienced instruction for over 20 years. 15b. 4. | Review us. 5 to 91. Why is a zero score in tennis called “love”? See All Good Facts. The name “octopodes” has been widely accepted throughout history but is the least used. Redeem Upgrade Help. The plural of thesaurus is thesauruses or thesauri. Something went wrong. Well, then I guess you say radiuses, while the rest of the math community says radii. November 9, 2022. What’s the right way to write “octopus” in its plural form? A debate for the ages, settle it once and for all by finding the right answer here. How to pluralize words ending in S. While “octopi” has become popular in modern usage, it's wrong. As I've written before, a pressure cooker is an excellent way to speed up the cooking time of octopus. An octopus (plural: octopuses, octopi, or octopodes) is a cephalopod mollusc o the order Octopoda. Then, suddenly, a cloud of debris came spewing out. S. As well, we are not given a choice between two or more types of octopi. De asemenea, distribuim informații despre utilizarea site-ului cu partenerii noștri de. All the entertaining Ask the Editor word videos from the editors of Merriam-Webster: word history, confusing usage, and other fun facts. Published November 1. The Oxford English Dictionary claims that in its English form, octopuses is the only correct variant. Its origin is similar to “octopodes,” except instead of using the Greek plural, it uses a standard Latin plural. Unlike many words in the English language, the word octopus has more than one spelling for the plural: octopi and octopuses. In this case, the word octopus is a loanword from Greek. Cacti is the Latin plural of cactus, and it is often the more popular usage among English speakers. Forming plural nouns can be difficult. (Image credit: David Scheel) Anywhere from three to 10 octopuses appeared at the site on a given day, the. “Octopus” originally comes from Greek (pous is foot) and not from Latin. Both octopuses and octopi are acceptable plurals for octopus. Let’s start with three possible octopus plural terms: “octopi,” “octopuses,” and “octopodes. Modern slavery statement. All three of the plural forms, octopi, octopuses, are octopodes, are considered correct by some, but we favor octopuses!The correct plural of “octopus” is “octopuses. An octopus's brain-to-body ratio is the largest of any invertebrate. Science. The common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) is a mollusk belonging to the class Cephalopoda. 4,070 likes · 1 talking about this. shelf shelves. An octopus has three hearts that pump blue-green blood around its body, using a copper- rather than iron-based carrier for oxygen. Octopus vulgaris, well-known from temperate waters of the Mediterranean Sea and a well-cited model species among the cephalopods, has large eyes with which it scans its environment actively and which allow the. 1. C - new boiler efficiency of 82. There are three plural forms of octopus: octopuses [ˈɒktəpəsɪz], octopi [ˈɒktəpaɪ], and octopodes [ˌɒkˈtəʊpədiːz]. ∙ 9y ago. Synonyms for octopus include polypus, octopod, Octopoda, octopode, cephalopod, mollusc, mollusk, Cirrata, Cirrina and Incirrata. It has a deployment process that deploys many things - over 30 projects . Octopi is the oldest plural form of the word ‘octopus. Mostly because she states that today, all 3 inflections ( octopuses, octopi and octopodes) are correct, which would match the what the Scrabble Dictionary tells us. Greek pluralizes -pous (for feet) to -podes. Home. I called head where the mouth and eyes are located, in the middle. One octopus set up a 2 minute circuit of the bottle around the tank and a second jetted the toy straight towards the water intake, getting a return in 30 seconds. Why is the plural of octopus octopi? When “octopus” was first mentioned in the English language in the mid-1700s, it was pluralized as “octopuses. [deleted] • 5 yr. Octopi vs. Den Eenfachen Kraken sien Mantel steiht wiet open un warrt bit hen to 25 cm lang. Wow, this was interestingasfuck, but at the same time r/oddlysatisfying AND at the same time r/oddlyterrifying . Some writers use octopi to refer to more than one octopus. The correct plural of “octopus” is “octopuses. published 17 May 2018. Typical weights for a full-grown giant Pacific octopus range from 70 to 110 pounds. 140 votes, 26 comments. You can say that one octopus and another octopus would be a pair of octopuses. Is octopi plural for octopus? The word "octopus's" is a singular possessive noun, a word for one octopus that shows something in the sentence belongs to that octopus. The order consists of some 300. Nov. Like other cephalopods, an octopus is bilaterally symmetric with two. Chinese and Taiwan Jun 30, 2006 #5 Thank you for your reply and corrections. But it is a weird configuration. Games & Quizzes; Games & Quizzes; Word of the Day; Grammar; Wordplay; Word Finder; Thesaurus; Join MWU; Shop; Books; Merch. Toggle navigation. Octopi vs. The diver encountered an elusive octopus during the dive. Some writers use octopi to refer to more than one octopus. La compañía ha crecido rápidamente y ahora es una organización con muchas sedes. Some Odd Words with ISMO: "Junk in the Trunk". All in all, though, ‘octopuses’ is much. By. GameStop Moderna Pfizer Johnson & Johnson AstraZeneca Walgreens Best Buy Novavax SpaceX Tesla. octopus meaning: 1. Some languages have more than one word for octopus from these sources, or from other sources altogether. See full list on grammarly. Well, if you pluralise it according to the language it comes from (Greek), then the plural is "octopodes". Octopus stems from the Greek word oktopous, and technically, Greek words ending in -pus (like platypus) should be made plural by adding - podes (meaning feet) to the end. So Octopus and Octopi. You can also grill or fry it, or add it to a salad or any. Native to the Pacific Ocean, the blue-ringed octopus can be found in the soft, sandy bottom of shallow tide pools and coral reefs. Plural of octopus can be octopuses or octopi (I like to use octopuses when it is a group of octopuses and octopi when it is more "latin species", type of talk). Although it is often supposed that octopi is the. REDEMPTION: Pick up your loaded Octopus Card at Hong Kong International Airport (Counter A13 in the Arrivals Area) anytime from. But octopi is just wrong, wrong, wrong. Octopus vulgaris is one of the most studied of all octopus species, and also one of the most intelligent. eight-footed; Noun ὀκτώποδος (masc. “Octopuses,” writes philosopher Godfrey-Smith, “are a separate experiment in the evolution of the mind. The tentacles have suckers to help grab and hold things. Depending on which dictionary you use, the plural of the eight tentacled. There are three plural forms of octopus: octopuses, octopi, and octopodes. Image: REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay. "Octopi" is mentioned by some dictionaries as an acceptable plural form of "octopus" because several words originating from Latin end in "i" in their plural form. Here’s the deal: “Octopi” is how you would make the word plural in Latin; unfortunately, “octopus” is not a Latin word—it’s Greek. octopus (plural octopuses or octopusses or octopi or octopodes or octopii) (see usage notes) Any of several marine molluscs of the family Octopodidae, having no. You just need to thaw it, then eat it as is. , 2015). Octopi is the oldest plural of octopus, coming from the belief that Latin origins should have Latin. Octopuses, Octopi and Octopodes. 16 views, 23 likes, 11 loves, 1 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Tamer Kaplan: Seehorse, Seepferdchen (Hippocampus hippocampus) Grey moray. Plural 1 Plural 2; Nominativ: der Oktopus die Oktopoden: die Oktopusse: Genitiv: des Oktopus der Oktopoden: der Oktopusse: Dativ: dem Oktopus den Oktopoden: den Oktopussen: Akkusativ: den Oktopus die Oktopoden: die Oktopusse [1] Zeichnung eines Oktopus:. A Guide to Pluralizing Foreign Words. Here is an animal with venom like a snake, a beak like a parrot, and ink like an old-fashioned pen. To derive the nominative plural form of the noun, we must take this stem and add the third-declension masculine nominative plural ending. The plural of octopus is not octopi because the word is Greek "octopous," not Latin. From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. BBC environment & rural affairs correspondent. Finding out the plural form of the word octopus, though, is going to require a little linguistic detective work. It som. In the. “Octopi” is not the plural of octopus. It ranges from the eastern Atlantic, extends from the Mediterranean Sea and the southern coast of England, to the southern coast of South Africa. Business, Economics, and Finance. Row of old books lined up. Function: noun. What is the plural of 'octopus'? It is most often spelled 'octopi' or 'octopuses,' but 'octopodes' is also a less-common option. ''. The plural form of octopus is octopuses or octopi (hypercorrect) . If you are talking about more than one octopus, you can say octopi, octopuses, or octopodes. (plural octopuses) jump to other results enlarge image. The three plurals for octopus come from the different ways the English language adopts plurals. Octopuses is the correct plural of octopus. Are they "octopuses"? Are they "octopi"? Or is there another, even more esoteric word that's technically the most correct? Yes, yes and yes. The “-i” in a plural is what we historically slapped onto words with Latin origins, and it was believed. Octopuses’ thin skin also absorbs some oxygen from the water. CryptoBusiness, Economics, and Finance. a sea creature. During divinations, Paul's keepers would. Octopus gills help draw in vital oxygen from the water, and the branchial hearts help pump oxygen-poor blood through the gills. The correct plural of octopus is octopuses. ”. 1) Octopuses are waaay old. The reason is that octopus isn't really a Latin word; it's a Greek word that was borrowed into Latin. Two locations Renton and. At the canyon’s base, 1400. "”The octopus is a member of the Octopoda order, a group of marine animals that have captured the imaginations of seafarers for thousands of years. Greek plural forms octopodes (acceptable, but unusual/less common). Während „Oktopusse“ den deutsche Plural vom Wort. It was originally a Greek word (oktopous), and it kept its Greek endings when it was Latinized, making its plural octopodes. favorites-all-time. leaf leaves. Octopuses was the next plural, giving the word an English ending to match its adoption as an English word. Wiki User ∙ 13 y ago Episode 180802 / 02 Aug 2018. Der Oktopus frisst vor allem Krebse, Garnelen, Muscheln und Schnecken. A warm and friendly place for octopus lovers. octopi” debate, and the proper word to use is… well, both of them are fine, but technically, “octopuses” is “more right. Copy. A third focus concerns the micro-organism fossil evidence contained within meteorites as well as the detection in the upper atmosphere of apparent incoming life-bearing particles from space. In terms of brain-to-body ratio (a factor helpful in determining intelligence), the octopus has the largest ratio of any invertebrate. Abstract. It is not a classical form. This is an accepted spelling, but it is etymologically incorrect: ‘octopus’ comes from Greek, so the correct plural would be ‘octopodes’. Octopi? The Plural of an Octopus. Ephrat Livni. By trapping steam and raising the pressure inside the cooker, and therefore raising the boiling point of the water as well, you can cook octopus much more quickly than at a standard sea-level boil of 212°F (100°C). /sea-creatues --octopus, and to generate a picture of more than one octopus maybe . ”. How do you refer to more than one octopus? People say everything from octopuses to octopi to octopodes. A mature tank is needed to house an octopus. octopus n. That is exactly how you get "octopuses" from "octopus". g. Definition of octopus noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Etymology: New Latin Octopod-, Octopus, from Greek oktOpous. The other three do their best, but they cannot know the truth. Commands like “search for food” are then. Similarly, if a word ends in -fe, change the f to a v and add an s. While we were deep-sea diving, we saw several octopuses. . Octopodes have blue blood and breathe underwater through gills. Wait a moment and try again. octopus definition: 1. A study published on Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE shows that octopuses of. Octopus comes from okto, ''eight,'' and pous, ''foot. This is an accepted spelling, but it is etymologically incorrect: ‘octopus’ comes from Greek, so the correct plural would be ‘octopodes’. The pursuit of plurals for the English noun octopus — most recently, in yesterday’s posting “Obscure plurals of octopus (and rhinoceros)” — has now lurched into the zone of the dorky, the raunchy, and the portmanteaued with Kyle Wohlmut’s posting today on Facebook of Jon Wilkins’s webcomic Darwin Eats Cake‘s smartass Guide to. The Plural of Octopus. ) Octopus and human intelligence evolved independently. Its an octopus holding what appears to be radianite. The researchers acknowledged that their study had some limitations. The females often die shortly after they are able to lay their eggs. ”. And plenty of research has been accumulated to back up this assertion. The reason is that octopus isn't really a Latin word; it's a Greek word that was borrowed into Latin. The best-known octopus is the common octopus, O. 0 )An octopus is an animal that lives in the sea. The mollusks are intelligent, playful and full of surprises, according to Sy Montgomery, author of the book. 1. If you really want to flaunt your classics training, you should call the eight-footed creatures “octopodes”. And some unsolved mysteries, how can a microbe that must be injested by a cat latch onto just the right circuitry of rat's brain to make it unafraid of cats. Dictionary Entries Near octopodes. A teacher asks the class to name six creatures that you might find in the sea. collect. Proving that grammar isn't always black and white, Stamper concludes any of the three options is just fine. While we were deep-sea diving, we saw several octopuses. 7M subscribers in the WTF community. The correct classical plural is the next-to-least popular, octopodes. . Some languages have more than one word for octopus from these sources, or from other sources altogether. Non-specialist speakers, however, tend to reserve Krake to the sea monster and use Tintenfisch and Oktopus interchangeably. First described in 1990 in Japan, takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a weakening of the left ventricle, the heart's main pumping chamber. Octopuses: not alien, but still pretty cool. An octopus ( pl. It can cooperate with other species such as groupers to hunt hidden prey . Octopodes is fine too but I don't think anyone ever uses it. The company has grown quickly and is now an octopus. Octopus is the largest genus of octopuses, comprising more than 100 species. Of the two, octopuses is the simpler and more commonly used. The traditional plural is octopi, which is based on the assumption that octopus is a Latin word. Octopuses: The Definitive Answer to the Plural Octopus. The oldest known octopus fossil belongs to an animal that lived some 296 million years ago, during the Carboniferous period. Singulars too. Others are more gluttonous still (such as octopus, the plural of which may be octopi, octopuses, or octopodes), and require three different ways of pluralizing. They have a hard beak, with the mouth at the center point of the arms. While we were deep-sea diving, we saw several octopi. Readers with eight arms will recall that what got me off on this was the plural of octopus. To make a plural of a word ending in -f, change the f to a v and add es. Comedian ISMO on what separates a boot from a trunk. When you approach an octopus in the wild, it is not unusual for the animal to send out one of its arms to inspect you. Evening is the most difficult time for the widow who recently lost her husband of 47 years, and has no surviving children after losing her only son Erik. More exactly, the word "octopus", which defines a sea creature with eight long arms, doesn't even originate from "Octopi" is not a correct plural form of octopus in any sense. The octopus retreated. Octopodes is fine too but I don't think anyone ever uses it. I don't think people want things like kumquats or small octopuses in their drinks. Miss Cellania • Monday, July 19, 2010 at 9:29 PM (YouTube link) Every time we blog about an octopus, or rather, more than one octopus, we can count on a debate in the comments about the proper plural form for the animal. Two Ways to Spell the Plural of Octopus. " The singular looks like a Latin masculine singular, ending in "us," but it really isn't, so pluralizing. But “octopus” actually comes from Greek, where its original plural is “octopodes”. Well, first of all, notice the black substance which. octopi debate. Octopodes is a rare pronunciation. The root of octopus is Greek, not Latin. Image: REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay. So, I guess my favorite choice was not entirely the right one. octopi” debate, and the proper word to use is… well, both of them are fine, but technically, “octopuses” is “more right. As I mentioned before, the variety of octopus species is broad with the biggest species, the giant Pacific octopus, reaching nearly 12 feet in length and often weighing more than 50 pounds. ”. News that the world's first commercial octopus farm is closer to becoming reality has been met with dismay by scientists and conservationists. Proietti told the CBC that one octopus was photographed sheltering inside a car battery, which could be giving off harmful chemicals. Since ‘octopus’ ends in a ‘-us’, most people assume it comes from Latin and thus spell the plural ‘octopi’. GameStop Moderna Pfizer Johnson & Johnson AstraZeneca Walgreens Best Buy Novavax SpaceX Tesla. Find more words! The major group of mesozoans, the Dicyemida, live as microscopic parasites in the renal organs of squid and octopuses. Octopuses, like their cousin, the squid, are often considered “monsters of the deep,” though some species, or types, occupy relatively shallow waters. Lastly, octopodes stems from the belief that because “octopus” is originally Greek, it should have a Greek ending. Today, we’re going to look at the name octopus as well as the creature that’s causing all this grammatical fuss. Courtesy of Godfrey-Smith et al. However, octopus is not a simple Latin word, but a Latinized form of the Greek word októpus. One morning, while diving in a kelp forest off the coast of South Africa, Craig Foster noticed an unusual structure: a mound of seashells artfully stuck together, as though someone’s beach house decor had washed out to sea. What does an octopus eat? Can octopuses change their color? And many more! LearningIsland. Edit: Actually, octopi might be used enough by now to count as a real word too. Try to choose words which pluralise. Merriam-Webster. SleepingBeauty New Member.