this post was submitted on 22 Apr 2026
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Could you just clarify one thing? I was told that the plural wouldn't be octopodes, but octopoda, similarly to what you used for modern Greek.
In modern Greek, singular: χταπόδι, plural: χταπόδια.
Transliterated using standard ELOT (that maps χ to ch) singular: chtapodi, plural: chtapodia.
The word is composite and contracted. First part originally is οχτώ (8) (transliteration: ochto) but has been uncommonly shortened to χτα (chta). Second part is the word for foot (singular: πόδι/podi, plural: πόδια/podia).
So without the uncommon shortening in more archaic Greek it would be: οχταπόδι (ochtapodi) and οχταπόδια (ochtapodia).
If ELOT is ignored and οχτώ is transliterated as octo, then you can get to octapodi, octapodia.
Very interesting, thank you for taking the time to write this out!