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Usenet Posted 21 years ago
Usage
Plural of PDA
The plural forms of word "automaton" are, as far as I am concerned, "automata" and "automatons". However, in the context of informatics, the first form "pushdown automata" is the only used form. "Pushdown automatons" is not used. Now sometimes it's convenient to shorten "pushdown automaton" to PDA, that's also an ubiquitous abbreviation. Some people use "PDAs" as a plural of PDA. Is it, from the viewpoint of grammar, correct, or maybe "PDA" doesn't change its form at all when it is 'pluralized'?
(www.google.com doesn't help much, "PDA" is also a "pesonal digit assistant" or something like that, so in that context "PDAs" is the correct plural, because "assistants" is the correct plural of "assistant".)
Thanks in advance,
Sasha.
(www.google.com doesn't help much, "PDA" is also a "pesonal digit assistant" or something like that, so in that context "PDAs" is the correct plural, because "assistants" is the correct plural of "assistant".)
Thanks in advance,
Sasha.
Top answer
sasha mal filted: [nq:1]The plural forms of word "automaton" are, as far as I am concerned, "automata" and "automatons". However, in the context ... )[/nq] My own preference is PDA for "pushdown automata", PDAs for "personal digital assistants", and PDsA for "public displays of affection"..
- sasha mal filted: [nq:1]The plural forms of word "automaton" are, as far as I am concerned, "automata" and "automatons".
- However, in the context ...
- )[/nq] My own preference is PDA for "pushdown automata", PDAs for "personal digital assistants", and PDsA for "public displays of affection"..
- r
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3 Answers
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sasha mal filted:
[nq:1]The plural forms of word "automaton" are, as far as I am concerned, "automata" and "automatons". However, in the context ... something like that, so in that context "PDAs" is the correct plural, because "assistants" is the correct plural of "assistant".)[/nq]
My own preference is PDA for "pushdown automata", PDAs for "personal digital assistants", and PDsA for "publ
[nq:1]The plural forms of word "automaton" are, as far as I am concerned, "automata" and "automatons". However, in the context ... something like that, so in that context "PDAs" is the correct plural, because "assistants" is the correct plural of "assistant".)[/nq]
My own preference is PDA for "pushdown automata", PDAs for "personal digital assistants", and PDsA for "publ
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[nq:1]The plural forms of word "automaton" are, as far as I am concerned, "automata" and "automatons". However, in the context ... it, from the viewpoint of grammar, correct, or maybe "PDA" doesn't change its form at all when it is 'pluralized'?[/nq]
In my experience, it's always "PDAs" (or "PDA's") when written (and pronounced) as an initialism, even though it's nearly universally "automata"
In my experience, it's always "PDAs" (or "PDA's") when written (and pronounced) as an initialism, even though it's nearly universally "automata"
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[nq:1]Pushdown automata (PDA) are ... which still looks wrong to me, but less so.[/nq]
Right. It should be PDA = "pushdown automaton", with the plural, PDAs = "pushdown automata".
Steve
Right. It should be PDA = "pushdown automaton", with the plural, PDAs = "pushdown automata".
Steve
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