English
Etymology
From Latin alumni
Noun
alumni
- Plural of alumnus. Indicates both males and females.
#: The alumni of this university include many famous artists and politicians.
Usage notes
The plural alumni is often mistaken for singular, as in I am an alumni of this university. Google, for example, shows about 14,000 hits for "an alumni of" versus about 60,000 for "an alumnus of". The next logical step, alumnis as plural, is also seen. This sort of shift is normal in language usage, but the language of higher education should err on the side of conservatism. Therefore, alumni as singluar should still be considered incorrect despite its widening usage.
Related terms
alumna
alumnae
alumni association
alumnus
Category:English irregular plurals ending in "-i"
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