The Mystery of 'Series': Why It Remains Singular in English Despite Its Plural Source

In the English language, many borrowed terms from Latin and other languages undergo Naturalization, undergoing changes to fit better within English norms. However, the word 'series' stands out as a curious exception. Despite having Latin roots, why does it remain singular in English? This article will delve into the linguistic reasons behind this phenomenon.

Formation of 'Series'

The word 'series' was borrowed from Latin, where it belonged to the Fifth declension of nouns. In Latin, the plural form of Fifth declension nouns happens to be identical to the singular form. This characteristic is indeed unique and rare. When borrowing Latin words into English, these words often acquire more common English plurals, as seen in 'indexes' (from 'indices') and 'fora' (from 'forums'). However, 'series' is a special case.

Inherent Plurality?

One suggestion is that 'series' is inherently plural because it denotes multiple instances of the same thing. However, this theory faces challenges. The word 'seri', the root of 'series', has roots in Sanskrit and Alexandrian languages, implying that the concept of plurality predates Latin and does not exclusively apply to series in a modern English context. Moreover, in English, the pronunciation and spelling of 'seri' sound similar to words like 'radii' and 'platypi', which already have plural forms. Therefore, adding a plural suffix to 'series' would result in a phonetically awkward ending like 'eses' or 'izz', which is uncommon in English and often avoided.

Comparative Usage

Even with the root 'seri', English has its own way of handling plurality. A quintessential example is the word 'fish'. In English, 'fish' can be singular or plural: 'one fish, many fish.' Likewise, 'series' has retained its singular form in the English language, reflecting the flexibility of English when dealing with plurality. We use 'series' singularly to refer to a group of related items, such as a television series or a number sequence.

Latin Plural Forms

It’s worth noting that in Latin, 'series' is a Fifth declension feminine noun. The plural form in Latin happens to be the same as the singular form: 'series.' This unique feature has been preserved in English. Additionally, there are other examples of Latin loanwords in English that follow similar rules, like 'lemma/lemmata,' 'octopus/octopi,' and 'fungus/fungi.' While 'octopi' is sometimes used, the correct Latin plural 'octopodes' is not frequently adopted due to its complexity.

Conclusion

Thus, while 'series' stems from a Latin Fifth declension noun with an exceptionally similar singular and plural form, it has not evolved into a plural in English. The linguistic reasons, including pronunciation challenges and the natural flexibility of English to handle plurality, have led to 'series' remaining singular. This unique retention of form is a testament to the complexity and adaptability of the English language, highlighting its capacity to handle multiple linguistic influences cohesively.

References

[1] Injury, Christopher (1981). Latin and Its Neighbors: A Guide to the Romance Languages. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

[2] "Latin Declensions," Latin for Beginners, , last modified 1912,

[3] David Crystal, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, Cambridge University Press, 1995.