Other loan nouns

 

Fr. -ean [ou] tableau bureau   It.-o[ou] tempo -eaux [ouz] tableaux bureaux (or bureaus)   -i [i] tempi (or tempos)

 

As can be seen from the above list some loan nouns may have two plural forms: the English plural and the original foreign one:

 

memorandum memoranda memorandums   focus foci focuses  
curriculum curricula curriculums      
formula formulae formulas      
cherub cheribum cherubs    

 

There is a tendency to use the regular English plural forms in fiction and colloquial English and the foreign plural in academic or learned language.

Sometimes different plural forms have different meanings:

 

index   indexes (list of contents of books) indices (a mathematical term - показатель)  
genius   geniuses (men of talent) genii (fabulous spirits guarding a place - духи, домовые)