Fungi, termini, stimuli

[ROBINDESBOIS]

are these words pronoundec with i or ai. Terminai? or temini?
fungai or fungi, stimulai or stimuli?

[Perikles]

Always with the i as in high or eye. Also Goodbye

[LibraryLady]

What is "Termini?" I looked it up in the dictionary (english and spanish) but could not find it.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by LibraryLady

What is "Termini?" I looked it up in the dictionary (english and spanish) but could not find it.

Most English words ending in -us are second declension Latin ones (e.g. terminus) which have a plural in -i. Some are Latin 3rd declension neuters, e.g. corpus - corpora, and many are 4th declension, e.g. prospectus, prospectuses. Anybody who doesn't know this is in danger of being called an ignoramus, and on this basis just about the whole population are ignoramuses (ignorami ). The whole question of English plurals from Latin and Greek could take up the many forums, or even fora.

[ROBINDESBOIS]

Brilliant explanation, bravo.

[LibraryLady]

I should have looked at the other two words to figure it out. Thanks for the explanation. There is always something to learn.

[JPablo]

Yup.
(But it is also in the Random House Unabridged, see red bold),
ter·mi·nus, n., pl. -ni, -nus·es.
1. the end or extremity of anything.
2. either end of a railroad line.
3. Brit. the station or the town at the end of a railway or bus route.
4. the point toward which anything tends; goal or end.
5. a boundary or limit.
6. a boundary post or stone.
7. (cap.) the ancient Roman god of boundaries and landmarks.
8. term (def. 10).
[1545–55; < L: boundary, limit, end]