This I Believe #21

...that when borrowing words into English, especially when their number is unclear and they tend to get used as mass nouns, you should invent singular forms for them as if they followed the high-prestige Latin pattern, regardless of their actual language of origin.  Examples:

(First declension)  The warrior class of ancient Japan were the samurai.  Each samura traditionally carried two swords.

(Second declension masculine)  When my wife dances, she wears decorative bindi.  Sometimes, during a performance, the glue comes loose and she loses a bindus.

(Second declension neuter)  Often for dessert at a Middle Eastern restaurant I will order a plate of baklava.  Generally it comes on a plate containing several pieces, so that each person at the table can have their own baklavum.

If you want to go the extra mile, you can even back-form an irregular third declension singular, as in:

I recommend the tempura. When eating it, be sure to dip every individual tempus in the special sauce provided.  (Extra bonus: round trip Romance-language borrowing!)

Finally, if you're really feeling ambitious, you can even do Latin-style number concord:

Traditionally, an order of nigiri sushi consists of two pieces.  Each nigirus sushus is a ball of rice with fish or some other food laid on top.

Comments

[includedmiddle]

I think you're confusing samurai with samurae.

But I believe samuras will work for a Greek singular.

[The Tensor]

I think you're confusing samurai with samurae.

I stand by my analysis. I'm all about the classical pronunciation—accept no ecclesiastical or regional substitutes. (And don't forget that the diphthong ae was often spelled ai in Old Latin.)

[includedmiddle]

Old Latin, Schmold Latin. I stand with Cicero and with orthographic consistency.

Samaraus would be acceptable.

[L]

Make sure to put plenty of sauce on your tempuribus and eat all your nigiros sushos - the cook here is a samura, and you don't want to give knife-carrying samuris cause for offence. If this makes you nervous, I suggest you go to a Chinese restaurant instead - dis sus is quite tasty, after all.

[L]

On second thoughts, I should have just linked:

http://www.poetry-archive.com/g/motor_bus.html

[theophylact]

I also believe that one should form classical plurals of commercial names: Kleenices, Volvones, Prii, Posta.

[The Tensor]

Shouldn't it be Kleeneges? (By analogy with lex and rex.)

[Claire]

or it could be Kleenectes (cf nox) or Kleeneves (cf nix). Caesar bibit cocamcolam? Salad is, I presume, an archaic ablative. salad constat letu:s cum vinegine.

[Erkki]

I have to sit down on a tatamus and think this one over.

[Angelo]

Heck, why not go whole hog and say baklavon!

[Michi]

Volvones ends up being particularily layered since the commercial name is a latin verb. Volvo - I rotate.

Thus, a better plural might be Volvamus.