Grammar and Elements

[Dragoon]

So, like a long time ago I started using quanta as the plural form of quantum.  Honestly, I can't remember if I picked it up from someone else or what, but it made sense to me.  But I was wondering, why don't we use electra as the plural form of electrum?

Quantum is a real word (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/quantum) that changes the -um to -a to pluralize.

Electrum is also a real word (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/electrum), but the dictionary doesn't show what the plural form is.

(Btw, I think zanz picked some very apt words for their functions.)


Also another grammar question I've been wondering, how to correctly "verbify" words like deflag, antimatter, quint, fractal, etc.  Do you just use normal endings and say deflaged and deflaging or do you use apostrophes like deflag'd and deflag'ing or some mixture of both?

Examples:
deflaged, deflaging or deflag'd, deflag'ing
antimattered, antimattering or antimatter'd, antimatter'ing
quinted, quinting or quint'd, quint'ing
fractaled, fractaling or fractal'd, fractal'ing

[Retribution]

I guess I would just add the general suffix or prefix to pluralize or verbalize a word from elements...they all come up red on spell-check though 

[smuglapse]

Like other metals, I would imagine the plural is the same as the singular.

I have 100 gold, 100 silver, 100 electrum...

From the dictionary: deflagrate

[guolin]

Despite usually being one of the most annoying grammar nazis, I usually just write stuff as if I was pronouncing it, e.g. deflagged, quinted, fractaled, etc. I usually don't bother with apostrophes as they trip up my 105 wpm typing. xD

[teffy]

Is "novae" the correct plural form of "nova"?. People here always write "novas". But the latin plural form is "novae"
The latin plural form of "electrum" is "electra" ,because the gender of this word is neuter.

[Dragoon]

Is "novae" the correct plural form of "nova"?. People here always write "novas". But the latin plural form is "novae"
The latin plural form of "electrum" is "electra" ,because the gender of this word is neuter.

Both are acceptable in English according to wiktionary (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/nova).  One may follow the Latin ending while the other the English.  Or it may be one is more common in British English and the other is more common in American English.  I usually use Novas.

[dracomageat]

My way would be that the plural of nova is novae but multiple cards called nova are novas.

Seeing as the card name is deflagration, it shouldn't take a genius to work out that if you deflagrate something you are deflagrating it and that it is deflagrated.

Antimatter is different though as it is not the name of the action. If something is turned into antimatter it is not "antimattered" but it is referred to as such for the convenience of talk about the card as there is no correct word.

[Rastafla]

Is "novae" the correct plural form of "nova"?. People here always write "novas". But the latin plural form is "novae"
The latin plural form of "electrum" is "electra" ,because the gender of this word is neuter.

Ive been using novae since day one. To me it simply sounds better, but I dont mind if someone uses novas either.
As long as you have correct order of the words in a sentence I dont mind it nor minor errors.
Your and you're are words that even native english speakers have problems with thise i correct as they have a different meaning.

Im by no means perfect either but at least i make an effort to correct myself.

[bojengles77]

Quanta is definitely the plural of quantum, and as such, I'd agree that electra is the plural form of electrum. It's a neuter noun (in terms of latin grammar) and the plural ending is -a for nominative case (subject) or accusative (direct object). I pretty much go with the grammatically correct latin endings for anything that seems derived from Latin, and most of the time it's correct, but not always.

[RavingRabbid]

Is "novae" the correct plural form of "nova"?. People here always write "novas". But the latin plural form is "novae"
The latin plural form of "electrum" is "electra" ,because the gender of this word is neuter.

<if you want to be a latin nazi is novæ and not novae>

[Unholy Spirit]

To change nouns to verb, simply say "use _____".  Most other "solutions" would be incorrect. 

[plastiqe]

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