Discussion Groups / English Usage / November 2006

My NOAD (2d ed) lists two plural forms for "shauri," the first one
just adding an /s/ to the singular form and the second one having an
/e/ ("shauries"), with notes that (a) the latter form is East
African,  and (b) the base term is from "Kiswhaili."  OED2
doesn't address the matter of plural form, giving a citation
(apparently from East Africa) that has the /e/.  Excerpt from OED:

1975 T. Dinesen My Sister, Isak Dinesen vi. 79 Sometime in the future,
in which we shall remember all the shauries (especially difficult and
unpleasant things) as shadows and smile at them.

Both of these reference works are UOP publications, so I assume that
OED3 will, when the /S/ work is done, agree with NOAD.  But maybe
someone has a different view?

I also note that there is no plural form for "safari" in OED2, and that
NOAD (2d ed) gives just one form, "safaris."  Wouldn't one expect that
Isak's brother would use an /e/ for that plural form also, given that
both singular words derive from Swahili?

Aloha ~~~ Ozzie Maland ~~~ San Diego