Shamans vs. Shamen

[SkiIucK]

Hello,

Share your thoughts, please.

Regards

[Yankee]

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If I refer to more than one German, I say Germans. Likewise, the plural of shaman is shamans.
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"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln

[SkiIucK]

Hello, Yankee!

You are making a good point; however, you don't say 'gentlemans', do you?

Best regards

[Yankee]

Hi SkiIuck

Think of it this way:
Do the words 'Ger' and 'sha' exist in English?

To me, neither German nor shaman is a compound noun. In other words, these words were not formed by adding the word 'man' to another word.

The word 'gentleman' is made up of two easily identifiable words, one of which is the word 'man'. The word 'gentleman' also refers only to a male. Thus, the plural follows the irregular plural of the word 'man': gentlemen.
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_________________
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln