Rule for deciding the plural form of “space jellyfish”?
I've just written the question Are there “Space Jellyfish” in Florida?
The phenomenon is described in Wikipedia as follows:
A space jellyfish (or jellyfish UFO; also rocket jellyfish) is a rocket launch related phenomenon that frequently is misidentified as an alien UFO. The phenomenon is caused by sunlight reflecting off the high altitude rocket plume gases emitted by the launching rocket, at pre-dawn and post-dusk, the twilight plumes. The observer is shrouded in darkness, while at high altitudes, sunlight is able to reflect off the exhaust that is being lit before dawn reaches lower altitudes or after dusk has already left lower altitudes, due the curvature of the Earth and its rotation causing the day-night cycle. This luminous apparition is reminiscent of a jellyfish.
In the title I used the plural form space jellyfish because it sounds humorous, as if there could be a school of such fish. But in the body of the question, I use space jellyfishes because I feel that this is more likely correct.
But I don't know why I feel this way nor how I made this choice.
Is there a grammatical rule that I'm using intuitively without realizing it? Is there some a priori reason that would tell us that the fishes form would be the correct choice, presuming that it is?
grammatical-number
asked 16 mins ago
uhohuhoh
350113
add a comment |
I've just written the question Are there “Space Jellyfish” in Florida?
The phenomenon is described in Wikipedia as follows:
A space jellyfish (or jellyfish UFO; also rocket jellyfish) is a rocket launch related phenomenon that frequently is misidentified as an alien UFO. The phenomenon is caused by sunlight reflecting off the high altitude rocket plume gases emitted by the launching rocket, at pre-dawn and post-dusk, the twilight plumes. The observer is shrouded in darkness, while at high altitudes, sunlight is able to reflect off the exhaust that is being lit before dawn reaches lower altitudes or after dusk has already left lower altitudes, due the curvature of the Earth and its rotation causing the day-night cycle. This luminous apparition is reminiscent of a jellyfish.
In the title I used the plural form space jellyfish because it sounds humorous, as if there could be a school of such fish. But in the body of the question, I use space jellyfishes because I feel that this is more likely correct.
But I don't know why I feel this way nor how I made this choice.
Is there a grammatical rule that I'm using intuitively without realizing it? Is there some a priori reason that would tell us that the fishes form would be the correct choice, presuming that it is?
grammatical-number
asked 16 mins ago
uhohuhoh
350113
add a comment |
I've just written the question Are there “Space Jellyfish” in Florida?
The phenomenon is described in Wikipedia as follows:
A space jellyfish (or jellyfish UFO; also rocket jellyfish) is a rocket launch related phenomenon that frequently is misidentified as an alien UFO. The phenomenon is caused by sunlight reflecting off the high altitude rocket plume gases emitted by the launching rocket, at pre-dawn and post-dusk, the twilight plumes. The observer is shrouded in darkness, while at high altitudes, sunlight is able to reflect off the exhaust that is being lit before dawn reaches lower altitudes or after dusk has already left lower altitudes, due the curvature of the Earth and its rotation causing the day-night cycle. This luminous apparition is reminiscent of a jellyfish.
In the title I used the plural form space jellyfish because it sounds humorous, as if there could be a school of such fish. But in the body of the question, I use space jellyfishes because I feel that this is more likely correct.
But I don't know why I feel this way nor how I made this choice.
Is there a grammatical rule that I'm using intuitively without realizing it? Is there some a priori reason that would tell us that the fishes form would be the correct choice, presuming that it is?
grammatical-number
asked 16 mins ago
uhohuhoh
350113
I've just written the question Are there “Space Jellyfish” in Florida?
The phenomenon is described in Wikipedia as follows:
A space jellyfish (or jellyfish UFO; also rocket jellyfish) is a rocket launch related phenomenon that frequently is misidentified as an alien UFO. The phenomenon is caused by sunlight reflecting off the high altitude rocket plume gases emitted by the launching rocket, at pre-dawn and post-dusk, the twilight plumes. The observer is shrouded in darkness, while at high altitudes, sunlight is able to reflect off the exhaust that is being lit before dawn reaches lower altitudes or after dusk has already left lower altitudes, due the curvature of the Earth and its rotation causing the day-night cycle. This luminous apparition is reminiscent of a jellyfish.
In the title I used the plural form space jellyfish because it sounds humorous, as if there could be a school of such fish. But in the body of the question, I use space jellyfishes because I feel that this is more likely correct.
But I don't know why I feel this way nor how I made this choice.
Is there a grammatical rule that I'm using intuitively without realizing it? Is there some a priori reason that would tell us that the fishes form would be the correct choice, presuming that it is?
grammatical-number
grammatical-number
asked 16 mins ago
uhohuhoh
350113
asked 16 mins ago
uhohuhoh
350113
asked 16 mins ago
uhohuhoh
350113
asked 16 mins ago
uhohuhoh
350113
asked 16 mins ago
uhohuhoh
350113
350113
add a comment |
add a comment |
0
active
oldest
votes
StackExchange.ready(function() {
var channelOptions = {
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "97"
};
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);
StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
createEditor();
});
}
else {
createEditor();
}
});
function createEditor() {
StackExchange.prepareEditor({
heartbeatType: 'answer',
autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
convertImagesToLinks: false,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: null,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader: {
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
},
noCode: true, onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
});
}
});
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
var $window = $(window),
onScroll = function(e) {
var $elem = $('.new-login-left'),
docViewTop = $window.scrollTop(),
docViewBottom = docViewTop + $window.height(),
elemTop = $elem.offset().top,
elemBottom = elemTop + $elem.height();
if ((docViewTop elemBottom)) {
StackExchange.using('gps', function() { StackExchange.gps.track('embedded_signup_form.view', { location: 'question_page' }); });
$window.unbind('scroll', onScroll);
}
};
$window.on('scroll', onScroll);
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fenglish.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f492223%2frule-for-deciding-the-plural-form-of-space-jellyfish%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
0
active
oldest
votes
0
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
Thanks for contributing an answer to English Language & Usage Stack Exchange!
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
var $window = $(window),
onScroll = function(e) {
var $elem = $('.new-login-left'),
docViewTop = $window.scrollTop(),
docViewBottom = docViewTop + $window.height(),
elemTop = $elem.offset().top,
elemBottom = elemTop + $elem.height();
if ((docViewTop elemBottom)) {
StackExchange.using('gps', function() { StackExchange.gps.track('embedded_signup_form.view', { location: 'question_page' }); });
$window.unbind('scroll', onScroll);
}
};
$window.on('scroll', onScroll);
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fenglish.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f492223%2frule-for-deciding-the-plural-form-of-space-jellyfish%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
var $window = $(window),
onScroll = function(e) {
var $elem = $('.new-login-left'),
docViewTop = $window.scrollTop(),
docViewBottom = docViewTop + $window.height(),
elemTop = $elem.offset().top,
elemBottom = elemTop + $elem.height();
if ((docViewTop elemBottom)) {
StackExchange.using('gps', function() { StackExchange.gps.track('embedded_signup_form.view', { location: 'question_page' }); });
$window.unbind('scroll', onScroll);
}
};
$window.on('scroll', onScroll);
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
var $window = $(window),
onScroll = function(e) {
var $elem = $('.new-login-left'),
docViewTop = $window.scrollTop(),
docViewBottom = docViewTop + $window.height(),
elemTop = $elem.offset().top,
elemBottom = elemTop + $elem.height();
if ((docViewTop elemBottom)) {
StackExchange.using('gps', function() { StackExchange.gps.track('embedded_signup_form.view', { location: 'question_page' }); });
$window.unbind('scroll', onScroll);
}
};
$window.on('scroll', onScroll);
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
var $window = $(window),
onScroll = function(e) {
var $elem = $('.new-login-left'),
docViewTop = $window.scrollTop(),
docViewBottom = docViewTop + $window.height(),
elemTop = $elem.offset().top,
elemBottom = elemTop + $elem.height();
if ((docViewTop elemBottom)) {
StackExchange.using('gps', function() { StackExchange.gps.track('embedded_signup_form.view', { location: 'question_page' }); });
$window.unbind('scroll', onScroll);
}
};
$window.on('scroll', onScroll);
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
