# What is the plural of "penis"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [January 9, 2004, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plural-of-penis/223637 "2004-01-09T14:04:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jellytoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb9ed0/32.png) [@jellytoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jellytoes)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plural-of-penis/223637/21 "2004-01-14T18:08:14Z")
I’m so relieved now that this is cleared up. I can’t tell you how many times this has come up (pardon the pun) while working at the sex toy shop. The next time someone starts to argue for ‘peni’ (usually in an attempt to sound smart) I’ll tell them to get the straight dope. Yet again, the straight dope has come to my rescue. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plural-of-penis/223637/22 "2004-01-14T18:21:16Z")
It seems as if we’ve done this before, and came to some sort of accord on _penes_, evidenced by the fact that it was in some book… the great gatsby? ---
**Author:** ![gbrohman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3be4f8/32.png) [@gbrohman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gbrohman)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plural-of-penis/223637/23 "2004-01-14T23:23:22Z")
After reading the plural of dick(s), It reminded me of the old Revolutionary song Yankee Doodle. I searched the archives and found the thread on the origin of Yankee Doodle(3jan2001). I was surprised to read the word doodle’s origin was listed as unknown. Well It may not be traceble back to B.C. But it is, with the word Yankee, a slang term for Penis. or more directly Yankee Prick! Now that it is a grade-school fun song, We seem to want to change that it was a demeaning song, that was used to ridicule our Revolutionary fathers. ---
**Author:** ![Bathybius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@Bathybius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bathybius)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plural-of-penis/223637/24 "2004-01-15T01:29:10Z")
\*\*Bibliophage \*\* says: \*\*I like clitorises, but the Latin form clitorides is also acceptable. \*\* … just wanted to say – I like clitorises too… ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plural-of-penis/223637/25 "2004-01-15T04:50:12Z")
Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, **gbrohman** , glad to have you with us. The origin of “yankee” is described by Cecil in [What’s the origin of the word “yankee”?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_260.html) ---
**Author:** ![Iustinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a587f6/32.png) [@Iustinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iustinus)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plural-of-penis/223637/26 "2004-01-15T07:06:43Z")
Thanks for the article. Screwed up Latin plurals really grate on me, especially the ignorant-and-proud-of-it perverse overgeneralization of the _-ii_ plural. I’ve seen quite a lot of _penii_ for instance, and once I came across _Apiciusii_ (which was particularly frustrating, because for that word the correct plural, _Apicii_ **does** actually end in _-ii_, so they had to go the extra mile to get it wrong.) One note though: While “octopus” should really be third declension, treating it as second declension seems to be very old. Compare the similar and often synonymous [polypus](http://perseus.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059%3Aentry%3D%2336950), which is treated as second declension in Latin (plural _polypi_) even though historically it should be third (plural \*_polypodes_). Furthermore, it turns out that [even in Greek](http://perseus.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3D%2385248) it was sometimes treated as second declension. I mean, if it only happened in latin we could attribute it to dumb Romans making up “pseudo-Greek plurals,” but if even the Greeks got it wrong then… well I guess it isn’t wrong 😉 Note also the better known inconsistant treatment of [Oedipus](http://perseus.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059;query=entry%3D%2332306;layout=;loc=Oeensis) (again, both in Latin and [Greek](http://perseus.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3D%2372215)). Of course we don’t get much call to pluralize Oedipus in English. ---
**Author:** ![gbrohman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3be4f8/32.png) [@gbrohman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gbrohman)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plural-of-penis/223637/27 "2004-01-15T23:45:06Z")
> [@C K Dexter Haven](#): > > Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, **gbrohman** , glad to have you with us. The origin of “yankee” is described by Cecil in [What’s the origin of the word “yankee”?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_260.html) Yes Master; I read that, But i was refering to the word DOODLE. In the post on the origin of the song Yankee Doodle, it stated the word doodle was of unknown origin. Latter, GBRO ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plural-of-penis/223637/28 "2004-01-16T01:05:29Z")
From **Tom Arctus** : > [@](#): > > I have good old English testicles (“the boys” to my close friends). And while we’re on the subject, of course you all know where that word comes from (testify) and why (the ancient Hebrew habit of touching them when swearing an oath ). According to [Merriam-Webster Online](http://www.m-w.com), “testicle” comes from _testiculus_ (via ME \*testicule), the diminuitive form of _testis_. My printed _New Lexicon Webster’s Dictionary of the English Language_ agrees. “Testify” comes from Latin _testificare_. I don’t know who wrote that horrid entry for “testify” at [wordorigins.org](http://wordorigins.org)(referenced in the link by **Moo the Magic Cow** ). To say that testify doesn’t derive from testicle because it derives from _testis_ instead doesn’t support or disprove the story about Romans testifying touching their balls. A Roman would presumably touch his _testes_, the plural of _testis_; only later would _testiculus_ (plural _testiculi_?) become the slang. In short, “testify” derives from the diminuitive for “male gonads” in Latin, and, thus, from _testis_ ultimately. None of which says anything about how Roman males fondled themselves while swearing oaths. ---
**Author:** ![john31584](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@john31584](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/john31584)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plural-of-penis/223637/29 "2004-01-16T03:05:35Z")
What a great read. I love language, but come to hate English more everyday. ---
**Author:** ![dangermouse1956](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/41988e/32.png) [@dangermouse1956](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermouse1956)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plural-of-penis/223637/30 "2004-01-16T20:52:02Z")
> [@SiXSwordS](#): > > And here I thought the plural of penis was “Bush Administration” No, no. “Bush administration” is what penises DO. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Theobroma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@Theobroma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theobroma)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plural-of-penis/223637/31 "2004-01-17T22:39:36Z")
Nobody has yet asked the ultimate related question: What is the plural of “Lexus?” …and don’t give me “cars”…or “units”…or any other funny business. I would accept “Lexuses” if it didn’t spread, Mississippi-like, to “Lexusususes.” ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plural-of-penis/223637/32 "2004-01-18T01:35:04Z")
Since “Lexus” is not a Latin word, the only admissible candidate is “Lexuses” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plural-of-penis/223637.md?page=1)