Bueyes

[irmamar]

I wanted to say that a yoke joins the neck of two... oxes or oxen? And why?

Thanks.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

I wanted to say that a yoke joins the neck of two... oxes or oxen? And why?

Thanks.

Most definitely, the plural of ox is oxen. (note also child, children; brother, bretheren) English has much more variation in plural endings than Spanish, sometimes (not in this case) because the words are foreign, e.g. cherub - cherubim.

The town of Oxford used to be known as Oxenford, by the way.

[irmamar]

I've seen in a dictionary "oxes" as plural. Maybe it's wrong.

Isn't the plural of brother "brothers"?

Thanks.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

I've seen in a dictionary "oxes" as plural. Maybe it's wrong.

Isn't the plural of brother "brothers"?

Thanks.

I knew I'd be in trouble.

If you are yoking two animals together, then they are two oxen. However, if you are using the word figuratively as a clumsy animal, and, say, comparing humans with them, then it is possible to say 'these two people are behaving like oxes'

The normal plural of brother is brothers:
He has two brothers and two sisters.

But some words have two plurals with subtle differences: bretheren is used for a group of men who consider themselves as brothers in the sense of close attachment, usually to some religious belief. For example, the Plymouth Bretheren

[chileno]

Originally Posted by irmamar

I've seen in a dictionary "oxes" as plural. Maybe it's wrong.

Isn't the plural of brother "brothers"?

Thanks.

This is the same as explaining which is the plural of ají. Ajíses or ajíes.

[pjt33]

"Brethren" is how I would spell it (and the Firefox dictionary agrees with me).

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by pjt33

"Brethren" is how I would spell it (and the Firefox dictionary agrees with me).

So does everybody else, including the Plymouth Brethren themselves and the SOED. I can't think where I got my spelling from.

[Josh]

So it might be offensive to say Oxesford.

[irmamar]

Thanks.