# Octopi: 8 arms or 8 legs? **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopi-8-arms-or-8-legs/283919 **Category:** Factual Questions **Created:** [January 9, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopi-8-arms-or-8-legs/283919 "2005-01-09T20:17:14Z") **Posts on this page:** 20 **Page:** 1
### Author: ![Weeks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbce88/32.png) [@Weeks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weeks) #### Post date: [January 9, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopi-8-arms-or-8-legs/283919/1 "2005-01-09T20:17:14Z")
Well? get busy! 😕 ---
### Author: ![jester21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed655f/32.png) [@jester21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jester21) #### Post date: [January 9, 2005, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopi-8-arms-or-8-legs/283919/2 "2005-01-09T20:18:53Z")
my WAG… arms… cuz I’d hate to think peeps are swinging them by thier legs as they throw them on the ice at Detroit Red Wings Hockey Games. 😃 ---
### Author: ![The\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9bd4f/32.png) [@The\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Cat) #### Post date: [January 9, 2005, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopi-8-arms-or-8-legs/283919/3 "2005-01-09T20:23:31Z")
I believe the correct answer is tentacles, but if I had to choose I’d say arms. Mostly just because of the way they grab and manipulate stuff with them. I realize some people can manipulate items with their feet, but I still say they’re arms. ---
### Author: ![Weeks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbce88/32.png) [@Weeks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weeks) #### Post date: [January 9, 2005, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopi-8-arms-or-8-legs/283919/4 "2005-01-09T20:28:49Z")
> [@jester21](#): > > my WAG… arms… cuz I’d hate to think peeps are swinging them by thier legs as they throw them on the ice at Detroit Red Wings Hockey Games. 😃 Answers like THAT will get us moved for sure, sober up! ---
### Author: ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri) #### Post date: [January 9, 2005, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopi-8-arms-or-8-legs/283919/5 "2005-01-09T20:54:56Z")
There’s no real answer to this question. Legs are appendages that are typically used for locomotion along a surface; arms are appendages used to grasp things. Since octopodes use their tentacles for both functions, they can be considered to be both arms and legs. ---
### Author: ![WeRSauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f19dbf/32.png) [@WeRSauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WeRSauron) #### Post date: [January 9, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopi-8-arms-or-8-legs/283919/6 "2005-01-09T21:12:03Z")
Eight limbs. Arms and legs are limbs, so issue’s settled. I think. WRS ---
### Author: ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator) #### Post date: [January 9, 2005, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopi-8-arms-or-8-legs/283919/7 "2005-01-09T23:09:14Z")
Since the \*pus \* bit of the word \*octopus \* comes from the Greek word for foot, presumably someone thought of the tentacles as legs at one stage. ---
### Author: ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy) #### Post date: [January 10, 2005, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopi-8-arms-or-8-legs/283919/8 "2005-01-10T00:00:09Z")
As well as “cephalapod” = “head-foot”. Also, in cephalapods tentacles are anatomically what would be the fleshy “foot” in a snail. But invertebrate anatomy is really just not comparable to vertebrates. ---
### Author: ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace) #### Post date: [January 10, 2005, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopi-8-arms-or-8-legs/283919/9 "2005-01-10T00:37:19Z")
Tentacles! Why is it always _tentacles?!!!_ ---
### Author: ![Weeks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbce88/32.png) [@Weeks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weeks) #### Post date: [January 10, 2005, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopi-8-arms-or-8-legs/283919/10 "2005-01-10T00:50:48Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > Since the \*pus \* bit of the word \*octopus \* comes from the Greek word for foot, presumably someone thought of the tentacles as legs at one stage. That’s all I need to hear. Thanks Cucumbator, yer allright! ---
### Author: ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL) #### Post date: [January 10, 2005, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopi-8-arms-or-8-legs/283919/11 "2005-01-10T00:55:00Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > Since the \*pus \* bit of the word \*octopus \* comes from the Greek word for foot, presumably someone thought of the tentacles as legs at one stage. Foot, yes, but what did the Greeks consider a foot, e.g. up to the knee? ---
### Author: ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker) #### Post date: [January 10, 2005, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopi-8-arms-or-8-legs/283919/12 "2005-01-10T01:58:14Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > Since the \*pus \* bit of the word \*octopus \* comes from the Greek word for foot, presumably someone thought of the tentacles as legs at one stage. And since “pus” comes from the Greek, not the Latin, it should form its plural the Greek way: octopoda. There are no “octopi”. _Octopuses_ or _octopoda_, not “octopi.” ---
### Author: ![Weeks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbce88/32.png) [@Weeks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weeks) #### Post date: [January 10, 2005, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopi-8-arms-or-8-legs/283919/13 "2005-01-10T02:18:11Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > And since “pus” comes from the Greek, not the Latin, it should form its plural the Greek way: octopoda. There are no “octopi”. _Octopuses_ or _octopoda_, not “octopi.” Y’know…that really hurts. ---
### Author: ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan) #### Post date: [January 10, 2005, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopi-8-arms-or-8-legs/283919/14 "2005-01-10T02:20:47Z")
> [@Weeks](#): > > Octopi: 8 arms or 8 legs Octo_podes_ Just sayin’ ---
### Author: ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri) #### Post date: [January 10, 2005, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopi-8-arms-or-8-legs/283919/15 "2005-01-10T02:26:22Z")
Yes, octopodes. See **bibliophage’s** Staff Report on [Latin plurals.](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mplurals.html) ---
### Author: ![WeRSauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f19dbf/32.png) [@WeRSauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WeRSauron) #### Post date: [January 10, 2005, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopi-8-arms-or-8-legs/283919/16 "2005-01-10T02:42:44Z")
Someone ought to notify [Merriam-Webster OnLine](http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=octopus&x=0&y=0): > [@](#): > > Main Entry: **oc¡to¡pus** > Pronunciation: 'äk-t&-p&s, -"pus > Function: noun > Inflected Form(s): plural - **pus¡es** or **oc¡to¡pi** /-"pI/ > Etymology: New Latin _Octopod_-, _Octopus_, from Greek _oktOpous_ Bold and italics in original. Just saying. WRS ---
### Author: ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri) #### Post date: [January 10, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopi-8-arms-or-8-legs/283919/17 "2005-01-10T03:20:46Z")
> [@WeRSauron](#): > > Someone ought to notify [Merriam-Webster OnLine](http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=octopus&x=0&y=0): > > Bold and italics in original. > > Just saying. > > WRS Yeah, I’ve noticed that before. Merriam-Webster got it wrong. As **bibliophage’s** article indicates, some errors of this kind have been so long-standing that they have even crept into the dictionary. (Another one is _rhinoceri_, the proper Latin plural of which is _rhinocerotes_.) The most acceptable English plural is octopuses. The correct Latin plural is octopodes. _Octopi_ cannot be considered a correct plural of octopus in any language. ---
### Author: ![WeRSauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f19dbf/32.png) [@WeRSauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WeRSauron) #### Post date: [January 10, 2005, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopi-8-arms-or-8-legs/283919/18 "2005-01-10T03:56:07Z")
Thanks, **Colibri**. 🙂 Ignorance has ascended quite high, unfortunately, it seems. WRS ---
### Author: ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville) #### Post date: [January 10, 2005, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopi-8-arms-or-8-legs/283919/19 "2005-01-10T07:50:24Z")
> [@bibliophage in the linked Staff Report](#): > > Many people who deal with penises professionally use the Latin-style plural penes . . . May I suggest this be amended to: Many people who deal with penises professionally **in the medical profession** use the Latin-style plural _penes_. . . There are a lot of non-medical personnel who deal with penises professionally and they generally employ much more alliterative jargon. For example: “In this explosive DVD, watch as Nina the Naughty Night Nurse takes on four huge black _penes_” . . . just doesn’t seem to work. ---
### Author: ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack) #### Post date: [January 10, 2005, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopi-8-arms-or-8-legs/283919/20 "2005-01-10T08:36:41Z")
From **The Pyrates** , by George MacDonald Fraser: “…Sheba hangs naked in her cage down a great black cliff o’er pool o’ ravening octopi -” “Not octopi. Sorry to interrupt, but it’s Greek, not Latin. Octopods, octopodes, take your pick, but not octopi.” “O’er pool o’ ravening octopusses, then!” snarled Blood. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopi-8-arms-or-8-legs/283919.md?page=2)