When did ignorance overcome education, for the correct plural is, "antennae"?
In message , Stephen Thomas Cole
writes
Roger Hayter wrote:
Spike wrote:
On 21/05/2016 11:20, Ian Jackson wrote:
In message , Jeff writes
Well my UK 1956 Collins Dictionary says for 'antenna' noun...
(Wireless)...plural antennas.
So antennas was certainly accepted as correct in the UK in 1956.
Jeff
In the UK, I think it's only some of the more-esoteric scientific
research boffins in WW2 who would have used 'antenna' and 'antennae'.
When R V Jones wrote his report on the Luftwaffe's X-Gerate navigation
and bombing system, he included a photograph of a Heinkel 111 annotated
with arrows pointing to the three aerials of the system, which he had
labelled 'X-Beam antennae'.
[uk.radio.amateur added]
Yes, I think it has more to do wtth the kind of education one has had
(in school, or self-selected), than to with with being 'esoteric' or a
'boffin'. In fact, the very term 'boffin' is rarely heard except when
used by the wilfully ignorant (those who think football is important for
instance) about people who seem cleverer than themselves.
I can honestly say that the only people I have ever heard use the word
"boffin" are tabloid newspaper journalists, usually in stories about
cloning sheep or GM food.
And now you. Congratulations!
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!
--
Ian
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