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Can you explain why the word species always has a plural form? If I wanted to say 'Cows is a very well known specie for providing us with the most delicious milk in the whole universe'. Once I'd written it, my auto checker suggested adding an 's' to the world 'specie', even though cows is only one type of beasts. I've looked up on some other website that it's a convention between scientists to use the plural form, but it didn't answer my question.
Feb 19, 2017 8:25 AM
Answers · 9
4
It isn't plural. 'Species' is a singular noun that just happens to have an 's' on the end. A species = singular. It's like 'series' - a singular noun that looks plural. There is no such word as 'serie'.
February 19, 2017
2
Nevermind. I made an error reading the message. I apologize.
February 19, 2017
1
I agree with Su.Ki. and just want to add that “specie” is a different word which means “money in the form of coins rather than notes”. Both “specie” and “species” come from latin and actually “specie” is the ablative case of “species” in Latin. “Species” is the same in singular and plural.
February 19, 2017
1
Yes, scientifically the word 'species' is always used and as it is a biologically word, it has come to be used in most spheres. 'Species' is now just commonly used as the singular version. Also, the word 'specie' is usually used with reference to money instead.
February 19, 2017
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