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Archiver > OKGEN > 2002-06 > 1023242605


From:
Subject: Re: [OKGEN ] say what?
Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2002 22:03:30 EDT


In a message dated 6/4/2002 6:18:50 PM Mountain Daylight Time,
writes:


> I need an English teacher to get me straight on something.
>
> The plural of 'data' is 'data.'
> The plural of 'sheep' is 'sheep'.
>
> But, what is the plural of 'Comanche'?
>
> The tribe is called Comanche.
>
> But what do you call 6 of these people in a group - "Comanche" or
> "Comanches"?
>
> I am writing a book on the history of Ft. Arbuckle. They were deep in
> Indian country and the many tribes do not have plural endings on the names.
> The proof reader marked every reference of a group of Indians from a tribe
> with an "S" in the plural state. (such as "Comanches.") I don't think this
> is right and I sure don't want to sound stupid on something that is in
> print.
>
> You wouldn't call the Kickapoo the Kickapoos, would you? Wouldn't you say
> that:
> "A party of six Kickapoo came riding into camp." The other sounds really
> strange:
> "A party of six Kickapoos came riding into camp."
>
> Maybe it is a vowel ending that determines if an "S" is added. What would
> you call the Choctaw and Chickasaw that end with a consonant? Remember, we
> are talking about a group or band of members from a tribe, NOT the tribe as
> a whole.
>
> I'm serious - If you are an English teacher or major please help me out on
> this one.
> Dennis Muncrief
>
>

I'm a retired editor, not an English teacher -- but I just can't resist this
one!

It's really two questions:

1. What is the plural of a specific Tribal name?

An English teacher might be able to explain the grammatical rules. (Why is
"Germans" the plural of "German" but "French" is the plural of "French"?) As
an editor, I'd have to rely Webster's Unabridged, which lists "Comanche" as
the singular, "Comanches" as the collective plural.


2. Under what conditions should we use which form?

The key is whether it is a collective plural. To take the example you gave:
"A party of six Kickapoo came riding into camp" sounds credible to me because
that small a group would most likely belong to a single band. "A party of
six Mexican Kickapoo" would, of course, be more explicit. "A party of six
Kickapoos" would indicate representatives of more than one band, such as a
formal delegation.


Now, FWIW, an editor's suggestion:

When you know that the reference is to a group of individuals who belonged to
the same band, use "Comanche" but make sure that a knowledgeable reader will
be able to understand this from context [such as identifying the band itself.]

When you know that the reference is to a group of individuals who belonged to
different bands, use "Comanches". Again, check that the knowledgeable reader
will be able to understand this from context.

If you do NOT know whether the individuals represented more than one band, it
may be MUCH easier to rewrite than argue. Turn "Comanche" from a noun into
an adjective: "Comanche warriors", "Comanche families", etc.

Sharon McAllister

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