OT: Just for fun, a couple of interesting "M" words. . .

[Kibitzer]

. . . myriad and media. Let's talk about myriad first. Basic definition is "a great number." Originally it was a noun and later its use as an adjective became bot only acceptable, but more convenient. Most 'Yarders use the noun form (e.g., "a myriad of. . .") and that's OK. Be assured that both of these sentences are grammatically correct:

"Geno has a myriad of options available."

"Geno has myriad options available."​

Take your pick. It's a win-win choice.

Next up: media. It is the plural form of medium, which many pundits or other TV commentators seem to forget. It is correct to refer to the radio medium (singular) or to include TV and say the broadcast media (plural). Another example: the Facebook medium but social media. Got it?

Now, a personal (and decidedly minority) opinion. Whether written or spoken, I invariably hear "the media." I contend that the word "the" is unnecessary (think about it, as I have) and that it is arguably incorrect.

If you disagree, OK -- I won't argue. Read the title; it starts with "Just for fun."

​

 

[UcMiami]

. . . myriad and media. Let's talk about myriad first. Basic definition is "a great number." Originally it was a noun and later its use as an adjective became bot only acceptable, but more convenient. Most 'Yarders use the noun form (e.g., "a myriad of. . .") and that's OK. Be assured that both of these sentences are grammatically correct:

"Geno has a myriad of options available."

"Geno has myriad options available."​

Take your pick. It's a win-win choice.

Next up: media. It is the plural form of medium, which many pundits or other TV commentators seem to forget. It is correct to refer to the radio medium (singular) or to include TV and say the broadcast media (plural). Another example: the Facebook medium but social media. Got it?

Now, a personal (and decidedly minority) opinion. Whether written or spoken, I invariably hear "the media." I contend that the word "the" is unnecessary (think about it, as I have) and that it is arguably incorrect.

If you disagree, OK -- I won't argue. Read the title; it starts with "Just for fun."

​

Fun indeed!
I think the further we get from the general knowledge of Latin in the English speaking population, the less rigid we become with the pure Latin words we have incorporated into the language and the proper usages of those words, and especially their plurals. From being the language of all scholarship and religion in the middle ages it has truly become a 'dead' language. In this country over the last 50 years, the number of high schools that still offer classes in Latin has shrunk significantly and this is true in England as well. And it has been dropped as a criterion from college courses of study like medicine.
Media - medium
Criteria - criterion (I just used criterium by accident in a different post, when I was not talking about bicycle racing!)
data - datum
loci - locus (frequently incorrectly singularized as locum - a person filling in temporarily, and a word that does not pass my spell check!)
radii - radius

The different ways Latin pluralizes word endings makes it difficult to remember, and we are much more likely to use only one form for both singular and plural forms - typically choosing the plural.

I think 'the media' usage is actually the same type of singular usage as 'the communication industry (or business)' creating a singular generalization out of multiple types of communication industries (or businesses.) (And of course using a plural without being aware that it is plural.)

 

[meyers7]

My favorite Latin lesson.

 

[BroadwayVa]

. . . myriad and media. Let's talk about myriad first. Basic definition is "a great number." Originally it was a noun and later its use as an adjective became bot only acceptable, but more convenient. Most 'Yarders use the noun form (e.g., "a myriad of. . .") and that's OK. Be assured that both of these sentences are grammatically correct:

"Geno has a myriad of options available."

"Geno has myriad options available."​

Take your pick. It's a win-win choice.

Next up: media. It is the plural form of medium, which many pundits or other TV commentators seem to forget. It is correct to refer to the radio medium (singular) or to include TV and say the broadcast media (plural). Another example: the Facebook medium but social media. Got it?

Now, a personal (and decidedly minority) opinion. Whether written or spoken, I invariably hear "the media." I contend that the word "the" is unnecessary (think about it, as I have) and that it is arguably incorrect.

If you disagree, OK -- I won't argue. Read the title; it starts with "Just for fun."

​

When I say: That rotten Media, I mean it. But when I say the Media is biased. I truly mean it.
However the medium for radio is "ether waves". I can say the Radio media when I'm speaking of the collective personalities using the radio medium. Corrections required, thank you.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Fun indeed!
I think the further we get from the general knowledge of Latin in the English speaking population, the less rigid we become with the pure Latin words we have incorporated into the language and the proper usages of those words, and especially their plurals. From being the language of all scholarship and religion in the middle ages it has truly become a 'dead' language. In this country over the last 50 years, the number of high schools that still offer classes in Latin has shrunk significantly and this is true in England as well. And it has been dropped as a criterion from college courses of study like medicine.
Media - medium
Criteria - criterion (I just used criterium by accident in a different post, when I was not talking about bicycle racing!)
data - datum
loci - locus (frequently incorrectly singularized as locum - a person filling in temporarily, and a word that does not pass my spell check!)
radii - radius

The different ways Latin pluralizes word endings makes it difficult to remember, and we are much more likely to use only one form for both singular and plural forms - typically choosing the plural.

I think 'the media' usage is actually the same type of singular usage as 'the communication industry (or business)' creating a singular generalization out of multiple types of communication industries (or businesses.) (And of course using a plural without being aware that it is plural.)

The issue, as you pointed out is the lack of Latin education. Latin based languages have become "Amerianized". Even those of us who had some basic Latin education get caught up in the "aggravated" usage of incorrect Latin because we second guess our memories. Conja gate that ?

 

[Kibitzer]

When I say: That rotten Media, I mean it. But when I say the Media is biased. I truly mean it.
However the medium for radio is "ether waves". I can say the Radio media when I'm speaking of the collective personalities using the radio medium. Corrections required, thank you.

Two comments. I suggest ". . .media are biased when. . ." and something like "many speakers on the radio medium. . ." or words to that effect, for clarity.

BTW, neither medium nor media are proper nouns so they don't deserve a capital "m."

 

[MilfordHusky]

I know some folks who pronounce it as if it were spelled "myraid." Sigh!

 

[alexrgct]

Here's a fun thing to remember:

Instead of saying, "media is plural", it's better to say, "The word media is plural ". Eliminates one of myriad points of confusion.

 

[Kaizen]

MaMma Mia .................

 

[Gus Mahler]

When I say: That rotten Media, I mean it. But when I say the Media is biased. I truly mean it.
However the medium for radio is "ether waves". I can say the Radio media when I'm speaking of the collective personalities using the radio medium. Corrections required, thank you.

I think the media are biased, too: toward sensationalism, hence ratings, and hence profits.

 

[Kibitzer]

I think the media are biased, too: toward sensationalism, hence ratings, and hence profits.

Remember the rule applied by all media, especially headline writers:

"If it bleeds, it leads."​

 

[BroadwayVa]

Remember the rule applied by all media, especially headline writers:

"If it bleeds, it leads."​

If that be the case----Boy do they have leads!!!
Typically if there is a heavy snow storm coming it is hyped as : The greatest storm of the century. Nothing is mentioned when it's a busted story.
The media doesn't make the laws but they write them. (think about that)