[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: Plural/singular, again, & other UK/US stuff

[Amanda Lewanski]

tanwo at hotmail.com wrote:

> The one that always sticks out like a sore thumb to me is "math" (as
> you say). We always say "maths". Given that the full word is
> mathematics, why do you say math?

Because we do not think of it as a plural. There is no word "mathematic"
except as an adjective. There is no such thing as studying one
mathematic. It is a singular word that happens to end with an 's' and
which is shortened to math. It's as if we shortened "ellipsis" to "ell."

--Amanda, who wants to know if the /th/ in "maths" is voiced or not; it
isn't in math.
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