Medias

[Benjamin Barrett]

In ADS message #073073, (http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0708A&L=ADS-L&P=R14944&I=-3&X=4BC3562B039B08F042&Y), Wilson Gray says:

'And, of course, there's "[medium,] media" > "mediae / medias."'

Although I wasn't able to find any other e-mail in the archives that mentions "medium/media," I thought that it had been discussed. Anyway, I think Wilson's e-mail is saying that "medias" is the plural of "medium/media."

My general take on it is that "media" is usually a non-count noun, so the plural does not normally occur. Like "English/Englishes" and "tea/teas," though, "medias" should be producible by grammar in certain situations to mean "type of media."

Yesterday, talking to Bassem Youssef, Jon Stewart uses this form, saying, "medias in our countries." It is at http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/thu-june-21-2012-bassem-youssef at 19:42.

Benjamin Barrett
Seattle, WA
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