Plural of Rhodes

[David Aubke]

It's a real pain avoiding the plural form of "Rhodes" but I can't figure out how to do it.

Rhodeses? Or is it a self-pluralized word like "sheep"? (Apparently those are called plurale tantum words.)

[pianotuner steveo]

I doubt it's Rhodeses.. Rhodes sounds right for plural to me...

[Alan Lenhoff]

My suggestion from a long career as a writer/editor: When in doubt, write around the problem. 

So my answer would be "Rhodes pianos."

Alan

[David Aubke]

So my answer would be "Rhodes pianos."

That's what I've been doing so far but I'm getting tired of it. Bugs me to add an unnecessary word just because I can't figure out how to leave it out.

[David Aubke]

Until I hear otherwise, I'm declaring "Rhodes" to be plurale tantum.

Also, Plurale Tantum is going to be the name of my next band.

[Alan Lenhoff]

Until I hear otherwise, I'm declaring "Rhodes" to be plurale tantum.

I'm all for having fun with the language, but that would not be correct. Since Rhodes is a last name that ends in an S, it is properly made plural by adding "es."  If you got a Christmas card from Harold and family, it should have said it was from "The Rhodeses," not "The Rhodes,"  "The Rhodes'," "The Rhode's," etc. 

But "Rhodeses" is just plain ugly. Hence the "Rhodes pianos" advice.

>>Bugs me to add an unnecessary word just because I can't figure out how to leave it out.>>

Understood.  In my opinion, you get plenty of value for that extra word because no one will ever be confused by what you meant.

End of grammar lesson...  ;-) 

Alan

[David Aubke]

Since Rhodes is a last name that ends in an S, it is properly made plural by adding "es."

What are the singular and plural forms of The United States? (I went looking for plurale tantum proper nouns and that's the only example I could find.)

End of grammar lesson...  ;-)

By all means, keep going. I love this stuff.

[Tim Hodges]

Just like the word cannon, I would refer to multiple of Rhodes still as Rhodes.

[Alan Lenhoff]

Just like the word cannon, I would refer to multiple of Rhodes still as Rhodes.

As long as we're having good-natured banter about this, your grammar teacher would frown at that statement. Just because there are a small number of singular English nouns that properly also serve as plural nouns, that's not a license for any of us to arbitrarily decide we can bestow that characteristic on any nouns of our choice. The actual question here is:  How does one convert a singular proper noun ending in an "S" to a plural noun?  And the answer is as simple as it is awkward and ugly: Add an "es." 

And one more observation about this language we share across oceans:  In the UK, cannon is plural. In the U.S., people typically say cannons, even though an American dictionary would indicate that both are acceptable.

All that said, if you say you have three Rhodes -- especially on this list --  I will know what you're talking about!

Alan

[Ben Bove]

Use the old style of pluralizing - en.  Oxen, Children, Brethren.

Rhodesen.   

[Alan Lenhoff]

Or Latin-style: Cacti, foci, stimuli, fungi.

Rhodesi. 

Alan

[Oliver Sheen]

Fender Rhides

[rhodesjuzz]

Though english/american is not my language I would rather avoid it

[David Aubke]

Though english/american is not my language I would rather avoid it

Um... what's the Dutch word for Rhodes?

[Tim Hodges]

Fender Rhides

Currently my favourite