Plural form of avocado

[brovolone]

Tomatoes
Potatoes
Mangoes
Avocados-- not avocadoes

Why?

[PastTense]

On May 15, 1915, in the posh new Hotel Alexandria in Los Angeles, a cadre of California farmers gathered to decide the fate of a new crop. The ahuacate, a pebbly-skinned, pear-shaped fruit, had been a staple food in Mexico, and Central and South America since 500 B.C. In the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors fell in love with the fruit after observing its prized status among the Aztecs…

The farmers came up with a new name: avocado. They informed dictionary publishers of the change — and that the plural was spelled “avocados,” not “avocadoes” — and named their own group the California Avocado Association.

What's in a Name? The Avocado Story

[PSXer]

I always use avocadi

[brovolone]

I wonder what prompted them to ensure it wasn’t spelled as ‘avocadoes.’ I kind of like the e.

Good link, btw… I didn’t know that avocados have more potassium than bananas either, nor that it is highest in proteins of all fruits.

[dtilque]

Perhaps they wanted the plural to be as it would in Spanish, where nouns ending in a vowel just get an -s. Tornados, for example.

[septimus]

Give proper thanks to buffalo, who don’t cause trouble: according to Merriam-Webster you can pluralize them by adding -s, -es, or nothing at all.

… Then again, maybe Merriam & Webster are just overly tolerant; they allow either -s or -es for avocado.

[CalMeacham]

[Old Joke]“Bring me an avocado. And while you’re at it, bring me another one.” [/Old Joke]

[Hari_Seldon]

Asking why something is spelled one way or another way in English is about as useful as asking why some people prefer chocolate and some vanilla.

[dolphinboy]

Think of how many 'e’s we’ve saved over the years. An ‘e’ is a terrible thing to waste…

[Atamasama]

@dolphinboy

Think of how many 'e’s we’ve saved over the years. An ‘e’ is a terrible thing to waste…

The e’s have been silent for too long.

[dtilque]

@dolphinboy

Think of how many 'e’s we’ve saved over the years. An ‘e’ is a terrible thing to waste…

Don’t you mean “An ‘e’ is a terribl thing to wast…”?

[Smapti]

I, for one, am going to start using “advocadae” just to be contrary.

[Shakester]

@dtilque

Perhaps they wanted the plural to be as it would in Spanish, where nouns ending in a vowel just get an -s. Tornados, for example.

Nachos
Tacos
Burritos
etc…

[John_Mace]

@dtilque

Perhaps they wanted the plural to be as it would in Spanish, where nouns ending in a vowel just get an -s. Tornados, for example.

Yep, that makes the most sense.

[Chronos]

But did the word actually make it into Spanish before it did in English?

[Drunky_Smurf]

@Shakester

Nachos
Tacos
Burritos
etc…

Habaneros
Taquitos
Carlos

[LSLGuy]

@Chronos

But did the word actually make it into Spanish before it did in English?

Ahuacate or aguacate has been the Spanish word from the git-go.

IOW, “avocado” is an English coinage in the style of Spanish. Same as many made up terms for US-Mexican food items.

AFAIK they haven’t re-imported “avocado” into actual Spanish, as opposed to the Spanglish patois common near both sides of the border.

Or I just been whooshed??

[dtilque]

I suppose it’s time to look at the etymology of the word. From the Online Etymology Dictionary

1763, from Spanish *avocado*, altered (by folk etymology influence of earlier Spanish *avocado* "lawyer," from same Latin source as *advocate* (n.)) from earlier *aguacate*, from Nahuatl (Aztecan) *ahuakatl* "avocado" (with a secondary meaning "testicle" probably based on resemblance), from proto-Nahuan *pawa "avocado." 

So it was a word in Spanish, although probably not that common.

[davidm]

@PSXer

I always use avocadi

@Smapti

I, for one, am going to start using “advocadae” just to be contrary.

You’re both wrong. It’s “avocadodes”.

[jasg]

Has anyone checked with Dan Quayle?