# ottomen **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 15, 2003, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ottomen/155305 "2003-02-15T21:25:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fire2furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/73ab20/32.png) [@fire2furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fire2furniture)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ottomen/155305/1 "2003-02-15T21:25:17Z")
why isnt the plural of ottoman ottomen? ottomans sounds dumb when you say it. am i right here???😕 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ottomen/155305/2 "2003-02-15T21:36:33Z")
No. You’re wrong. “Ottomans” is correct; look in any dictionary. The English language doesn’t change to suit your particular idea of what sounds like dumb. And “mongooses” is also correct. Live with it. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ottomen/155305/3 "2003-02-15T21:38:43Z")
I can’t asnwer your “why isn’t” question. But yes, it does SOUND dumb. ---
**Author:** ![brianmelendez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ottomen/155305/4 "2003-02-15T21:40:09Z")
The word “Ottoman” is the adjectival form of Osman, the ruling house of the empire named after it. It does not contain the English word “man” and thus does not form its plural irregularly. From Merrian-Webster Online: > [@](#): > > Pronunciation: 'ä-t&-m&n > Function: adjective > Etymology: French, adjective & noun, probably from Italian _ottomano_, from Arabic _'othmAnI_, from _'OthmAn_ Osman I, founder of the Ottoman Empire > Date: 1603 > : of or relating to the Ottoman Empire, its rulers, or its citizens or functionaries ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ottomen/155305/5 "2003-02-15T21:40:46Z")
Oh, and welcome to the SDMB! ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ottomen/155305/6 "2003-02-15T21:58:23Z")
Arabic is a language structured on three-consonant roots. Words are formed by many different vowel patterns applied to these consonantal skeletons, sometimes with prefixes or suffixes. The Arabic name ‘Uthmân is built from a consonantal root ‘-th-m. The -ân part is a suffix. So the appearance of “man” at the end is totally accidental and has nothing whatever to do with the English word _man_. How come you haven’t insisted that the plural of _shaman_ ought to be \*shamen? Or that the singular of _Türkmen_ should be \*Turkman? ---
**Author:** ![fire2furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/73ab20/32.png) [@fire2furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fire2furniture)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ottomen/155305/7 "2003-02-15T22:50:26Z")
i know that ottomen is incorrect, i want to know WHY. and for the record i’m referring to the piece of furniture, not the Ottoman empire. ---
**Author:** ![fire2furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/73ab20/32.png) [@fire2furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fire2furniture)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ottomen/155305/8 "2003-02-15T22:54:41Z")
jomo mojo, thank you. i just needed to know why, and you answered, much appreciation. ~f2f ---
**Author:** ![brianmelendez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ottomen/155305/9 "2003-02-15T22:59:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by fire2furniture \* > \*\*i know that ottomen is incorrect, i want to know WHY. and for the record i’m referring to the piece of furniture, not the Ottoman empire. \*\* The piece of furniture is named after the Empire–a seat or footstool in the Ottoman style, later nominalized to just “ottoman.” The word, and its derivation and inflection, are the same for either meaning. The plural in English is _ottomans_ because English regularly forms the plural by adding _-s_ to the noun stem. The word _man_ forms its plural irregularly as _men_ but, since _ottoman_ and man are linguistically unrelated, _ottoman_ does not form its plural irregularly. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ottomen/155305/10 "2003-02-15T23:38:22Z")
I like to put my feet up on my Ottoman when I’m watching the Toronto Maple Leaves. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ottomen/155305/11 "2003-02-15T23:49:06Z")
I wonder if anyone can confirm or debunk the rumor widely circulating in Muslim countries that Europeans named the upholstered footstool “Ottoman” in order to disrespect the Turkish empire — because they put their feet on it. I’m skeptical but I have no evidence either way. What _was_ the original point of calling the thing an “Ottoman”? Was it just because an upholstered footstool was considered the sort of Oriental luxury enjoyed by the Turke in his _seraglio_? Or was it a typical anti-Muslim conspiracy? FTR, the Arabic plural of Ottoman would be ‘_uthmânîyûn_, and the Turkish plural is _osmanlïlar._