Beware Greek-bearing words

2 comments June 19th, 2008

The following is a common error:

“The board tends to look at one criteria.”

The word “criteria” is plural. The singular is “criterion.” It comes from the Greek “kriterion,” for “means of judging,” which is exactly what it means in English. A good synonym is “standard.”

One “criterion,” many “criteria.”

Similar confusion, though less frequently, is encountered with “phenomenon” (singular) and “phenomena” (plural), also of Greek origin. It is incorrect to say “this phenomena.”

So many English plurals end with an “s” sound that we can be fooled into thinking that any word that doesn’t end in “s” must be singular. T’ain’t necessarily so.