Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
formulas or formulae?
English answer:
formulas or formulae
Added to glossary by
David Russi
May 26, 2004 20:15
19 yrs ago
5 viewers *
English term
Carolina
formulas or formulae?
English
Bus/Financial
Marketing
I've read in Cambridge Dictionary (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=30641&dict=CA... that both ways are correct (Plural of "formula"). However, I'd like to know which is more common.
My sentence is: "Likewise, laundry aids have been replaced by powder detergents that have proved more powerful, especially because of features such as pre-wash spot, non-chlorine bleach and stain removers in their formulae/formulas."
My sentence is: "Likewise, laundry aids have been replaced by powder detergents that have proved more powerful, especially because of features such as pre-wash spot, non-chlorine bleach and stain removers in their formulae/formulas."
Responses
| 5 +14 | formulas |
David Russi
|
| 5 +4 | It depends |
humbird
|
| 5 | The tendency is... |
John Bowden
|
| 3 | formulae |
David Moore (X)
|
Responses
+14
3 mins
David Russi
United States
United States
Native in English
&
English
United States
30+ years, stopped counting...
Native in: English 
, Spanish
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English
Related KudoZ points
:
8
Selected
formulas
Both are correct, fornmulas is more common, at least in the US
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you very much, everybody. All answers helped :-)"
+4
15 mins
It depends
Depends. Fomulae is derived from Latin (like cactuses vs. cacti). As Latin-derived words were histrically words of academicians, scholars and college professors etc. would prefer "formulae", whereas newsreporter (for example) would choose formulas.
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Note added at 2004-05-26 20:38:22 (GMT)
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Yes Lars I agree thoroughly, and Latin is dieing langauage. Nevertheless it is also die hard. Pedantic atomosphere it creates could be irresistable to some.
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Note added at 2004-05-26 20:38:22 (GMT)
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Yes Lars I agree thoroughly, and Latin is dieing langauage. Nevertheless it is also die hard. Pedantic atomosphere it creates could be irresistable to some.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Kim Metzger
: I agree that in certain registers (academic, e.g.) formulae would still be preferred, but not in the example given.
3 hrs
|
| agree |
Java Cafe
5 hrs
|
| agree |
Alfa Trans (X)
: dying, though!
7 hrs
|
| agree |
Edith Kelly
8 hrs
|
13 hrs
formulae
This is quite clearly one we could argue about until tomorrow - you know, the tomorrow that never comes. I'm not reall sure myself, but the European "English Style Guide" states that in political contexts the plural "formulaS" should be used, and in scientific contexts "formulaE". I'm not altogether sure if this helps us any further, because the sentence posted doesn't really look terribly like a scientific text, does it....
http://europa.eu.int/comm/translation/writing/style_guides/e...
http://europa.eu.int/comm/translation/writing/style_guides/e...
15 hrs
The tendency is...
to use the Latin plural in scientific/mathematical contexts, and a regular English "-s" plural in non-scientific contexts: so depending on how "specialist" the text is, either "formulae" or "formulas" are both possible. However, if you wanted a pural of "baby milk formula", I can't imagine ever using "formulae"!
Some other words, such as "stadium" for example, very rarely have the Latin plural - very few people talk about "football stadia", for example.
Some other words, such as "stadium" for example, very rarely have the Latin plural - very few people talk about "football stadia", for example.
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