Pedants' Paradise

[LeMartinPecheur]

Singular erotica

There, that got your attention didn't it!

In the i-newspaper yesterday an article about the historical and present suppression of the erotic artworks by famous artists (Turner as censored by Ruskin in particular) had 'erotica is', with consistent singular treatment throughout. Is this a one-off aberration, or has usage started to change?

[Wychwood]

Can I further arouse your interest with "data"? Now widely used in the singular, although all my (admittedly elderly) dictionaries insist on the plural form.

[LMcD]

Can I further arouse your interest with "data"? Now widely used in the singular, although all my (admittedly elderly) dictionaries insist on the plural form.

I think the media is to blame - or a bacteria.

[gurnemanz]

There, that got your attention didn't it!

In the i-newspaper yesterday an article about the historical and present suppression of the erotic artworks by famous artists (Turner as censored by Ruskin in particular) had 'erotica is', with consistent singular treatment throughout. Is this a one-off aberration, or has usage started to change?

Interesting point and even as a fully paid-up pedant I've never really thought about it before. It seems to me that the word "erotica" has two possible types of usage:

1 As a countable noun which only has a plural form. It is in this case correctly followed with a plural verb because you are referring to a number of specific, individual pieces of erotic art. I can't actually remember ever having come across it used in this way. The singular form of the noun which would to be used for just one piece of such art would be "eroticos" - which does not seem to exist in English.

2 As a non-countable noun denoting a category of art, i.e. when referring to all such works in general. As such it can surely correctly, and indeed can only, be used with a singular verb. I have read that the word "erotica" came into use when booksellers used it as a label for a certain type of book.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Interesting point and even as a fully paid-up pedant I've never really thought about it before. It seems to me that the word "erotica" has two possible types of usage:

1 As a countable noun which only has a plural form. It is in this case correctly followed with a plural verb because you are referring to a number of specific, individual pieces of erotic art. I can't actually remember ever having come across it used in this way. The singular form of the noun which would to be used for just one piece of such art would be "eroticos" - which does not seem to exist in English.

2 As a non-countable noun denoting a category of art, i.e. when referring to all such works in general. As such it can surely correctly, and indeed can only, be used with a singular verb. I have read that the word "erotica" came into use when booksellers used it as a label for a certain type of book.

My quick-ref Chambers Dictionary c1972 says unequivocally that it's n.plu.

For further analysis here are fuller quotes from the article by Kate Lister:
1) But Turner is not the only great artist whose erotica has been hushed up, lest it tarnish their reputation.
2) Lowry's erotica was only discovered after his death in 1976...
3) For Ruskin at least, Turner's erotica was incompatible with the spiritual genius he saw in his landscapes.
4) Thankfully, Turner's erotica is no longer hushed up and locked away...

All of these seem to me to demand a plural verb, so I hope they fall into your Cat. 1. As for your Cat. 2, is it something like "Currently erotica is a thriving market"? I can buy that (ahem!)

[vinteuil]

.

... what is your agenda here?

.

[verismissimo]

Dictionaries always follow usage (eventually). Not the other way round. :)

[LMcD]

Interesting point and even as a fully paid-up pedant I've never really thought about it before. It seems to me that the word "erotica" has two possible types of usage:

1 As a countable noun which only has a plural form. It is in this case correctly followed with a plural verb because you are referring to a number of specific, individual pieces of erotic art. I can't actually remember ever having come across it used in this way. The singular form of the noun which would to be used for just one piece of such art would be "eroticos" - which does not seem to exist in English.

2 As a non-countable noun denoting a category of art, i.e. when referring to all such works in general. As such it can surely correctly, and indeed can only, be used with a singular verb. I have read that the word "erotica" came into use when booksellers used it as a label for a certain type of book.

Don't forget Beethoven's 3rd symphony.

[cloughie]

Don't forget Beethoven's 3rd symphony.

No ‘t’ for you there!

[kernelbogey]

Dictionaries always follow usage (eventually). Not the other way round. :)

The poiint was made recently by Oxford English Dictionaries (a singlular!) that as a scholarly record of usage the OED may not be prescriptive. (This in response to a complaint about dictionaries - and thesauruses [!] - including offensive words for women.)

Reverting to erotica, I agree with Gurnemanz; so artists' works must be erotica, as they are several, whereas the category is singular: erotica is life-affirming and we should not hide it.

[kernelbogey]

The orchestra rose to it its feet
OR
The orchestra rose to their feet?

[Bryn]

The orchestra rose to it its feet
OR
The orchestra rose to their feet?

Their, there.

[oddoneout]

The orchestra rose to it its feet
OR
The orchestra rose to their feet?

I was taught that a collective noun takes the singular. R3 announcers seem to have abandoned that for the most part, which I find jars. It's another case of language changes over time I suspect and will/has largely become the norm. This I found interesting for dealing with what comes after. http://learnersdictionary.com/qa/Col...Verb-Agreement

[cloughie]

I was taught that a collective noun takes the singular. R3 announcers seem to have abandoned that for the most part, which I find jars. It's another case of language changes over time I suspect and will/has largely become the norm. This I found interesting for dealing with what comes after. http://learnersdictionary.com/qa/Col...Verb-Agreement

I’ll settle for ‘the orchestra stood up’.

[Oakapple]

I was taught that a collective noun takes the singular...

I think we should say whatever sounds natural at the time. Otherwise we must say, for example:

The newly wed couple went on its honeymoon.

My spaghetti are tasty.