OFF: The Residents

[Arin Komins]

On Tue, 13 Feb 2001, Nick Medford wrote:

:>
:>No cyclopses, eh?
:>
:
:Now what IS the plural of cyclops? Can it be plural?
:
:The kind of dilemma which would make ideal subject matter for a Residents
:song, in fact.

It can be plural.  either cyclopes or cyclopses.

>From the oxford english dictionary:


                               OED Entry Search

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Term: cyclops

   Found: one match
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1. Cyclops

   Cyclops . Also Cyclop. Pl. Cyclopes ; also Cyclops, Cyclopses. a. L.
   Cyclo+ps, -o+pem, a. Gr. Kuklwy(gr.) lit. `round-eyed', f.
   kuklo-j(gr.) circle + -wy(gr.) eye. In Ital. and Sp. Ciclope, Pg. and
   Fr. Cyclope, whence Eng. Cyclop.

   1. One of a race of one-eyed giants in ancient Greek mythology, who
   forged thunderbolts for Zeus. Hence often used allusively.

   a(gr.). sing. Cyclops, pl. Cyclopes; but the latter in early use may
   be like F. Cyclopes, pl. of Cyclope.
     * 1513 Douglas neis iii. x. 39 A huge peple we se Of Ciclopes cum
       hurland to the port.
     * 1561 T. Norton Calvin's Inst. i. 7 Vnlesse the Epicureans like the
       Giauntes Cyclopes would..make warre against God.
     * 1645 Milton Tetrach. (1851) 234 Such an obdurat Cyclops, to have
       but one eye for this text.
     * 1802 Wordsw. Daisy iv, A little cyclops, with one eye Staring to
       threaten and defy.
     * 1883 Liddell Scott Gr. Lex. (ed. 7) s.v., In Hesiod Theogony 140,
       we find three Cyclopes..who forged the thunderbolts for Zeus.

   b(gr.). sing. Cyclop, pl. Cyclops. F. Cyclope, -s.
     * 1592 R. D. Hypnerotomachia 3 b, Achemenides being afraide of the
       horrible Cyclops.
     * 1602 Shaks. Ham. ii. ii. 511.
     * 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 245 The Cyclops, at th' Almighty Nod,
       New Thunder hasten for their angry God.
     * 1725 Pope Odyss. ix. 473 The Cyclops all that round him dwell.
     * 1725 Pope Odyss. 484 The Cyclop from his den replies.
     * 1819 Shelley Cyclops 111 Cyclops, who live in caverns, not in
       houses.
     * 1855 Macaulay Hist. IV. xix. 321 In front of the helmet was a huge
       glass eye like that of a cyclop.

   g(gr.). pl. Cyclopses.
     * 1681 Rycaut Critick 206 What shall I say of so many Cyclopses?
     * 1819 Shelley Cyclops 25 The one-eyed children of the Ocean God,
       The man-destroying Cyclopses.

   2. Zool. A genus of small fresh-water copepods, having an eye
   (apparently single, but really double) situated in the middle of the
   front of the head.
     * 1849-52 Todd Cycl. Anat. IV. 967/1 The metamorphosis of the eyes
       in..Cyclops.
     * 1860 Gosse Rom. Nat. Hist. 63 Tiny cyprides and cyclopes
       disporting in the umbrageous groves of their world.

   3. attrib. and Comb. (Cf. cyclope a.)
     * 1682 Dryden Medal 226 Then, Cyclop like, in humane Flesh to deal.
     * 1687 Third Coll. Poems, A Warning (1689) 29/1 His Cyclop Priests
       will make you truckle under.
     * 1803 Sarrett New Pict. London 177 A Cyclops pig..because it has
       only one eye..placed in the middle of the forehead.
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   [2]Greek alphabet transliteration table

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References

   1. http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/OED/oed.form.html
   2. http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/OED/greektab.html
   3. http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/OED/oed.form.html

Arin
(exploiting university resources)
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Arin Komins                            akomins at midway.uchicago.edu
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