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OSs vs OSes


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Talk vs Speak | adverbs of Frequency
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OSs vs OSes #1 (permalink) Fri Jun 06, 2008 8:24 am   OSs vs OSes
 

Hi everybody!

I'm reading a technical literature now, and there are a lot of OSs (operating systemS) in this book and I was sure it is correct. I mean not OSes but OSs.

But in process of reading I find ASes (autonomous systemS) in this book. What is it? Mistake?

Can you explain why OSs but not OSes (or other way).
Vishnya
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OSs vs OSes #2 (permalink) Fri Jun 06, 2008 8:29 am   OSs vs OSes
 

I think OSes would be better.
Haihao
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OSs vs OSes #3 (permalink) Fri Jun 06, 2008 9:11 am   OSs vs OSes
 

I don't think so, cause I've never seen OSes. If you write OSes, does it mean that is operating systemES? But if you sure give me an explanation please.
Vishnya
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OSs vs OSes #4 (permalink) Fri Jun 06, 2008 9:41 am   OSs vs OSes
 

No, never systemes. OS is OS itself although it does mean Operating System. I suggest you take a google.
Haihao
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OSs vs OSes #5 (permalink) Fri Jun 06, 2008 10:21 am   OSs vs OSes
 

I would prefer OSs. Sometimes people might use OS's as the plural, but I think it would be relatively rare to see OSes.

ASs, or AS's, but never ASes.
Jamie (K)
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OSs vs OSes #6 (permalink) Fri Jun 06, 2008 10:29 am   OSs vs OSes
 

Google says,

OSes 2,880,000
OS's 134,000,000 (Jamie's offer :) )
But it seems to me OSs would go to another abbreviation: Open System Source.

I am not sure though.
Haihao
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OSs vs OSes #7 (permalink) Fri Jun 06, 2008 11:52 am   OSs vs OSes
 

Quote:
But it seems to me OSs would go to another abbreviation: Open System Source.


Wouldn't that be OSS?
Molly
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OSs vs OSes #8 (permalink) Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:03 pm   OSs vs OSes
 

21,000 English pages for "mac OS's".
9,080 English pages for "mac OSs".

But:

42,600 English pages for "windows OS's".
98,500 English pages for "windows OSs".

And:

27,800 English pages for "linux OS's"
150,000 English pages for "linux OSs".

Hm...
Molly
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Joined: 12 Feb 2008
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OSs vs OSes #9 (permalink) Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:11 pm   OSs vs OSes
 

.
It seems to me that someone who would write "OSes" would be someone who always says "OS" rather than "operating system" when speaking. The pronunciation of the plural form of "OS" would sound like "OSes". Thus a person who never actually says "operating systems" might tend to write the plural of "OS" the same way he/she pronounces it.
.
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Yankee
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OSs vs OSes #10 (permalink) Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:35 pm   OSs vs OSes
 

Jamie (K) wrote:
I would prefer OSs. Sometimes people might use OS's as the plural, but I think it would be relatively rare to see OSes.

ASs, or AS's, but never ASes.


I fully agree with you.

Quote:
But it seems to me OSs would go to another abbreviation: Open System Source

As we are talking about technical literature I use Cisco press, Microsoft Manual of Style, and Microsoft Computer Dictionary (fifth edition) to know what does OS mean.

Microsoft Dictionary says: "OS n. See operating system." And then in Microsoft Manual of Style (version 3.0) we can read "To form the plural of an acronym, use a lowercase "s" without an apostrophe." Example: several IFSs.

So, I'm not fully confident about OSes or OSs, but I am fully confident that OSs is acronym of operating systems, but not an open source systems, cause open source software (not system, if you mean UNIX) is OSS but not OSs.
:)
Vishnya
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Joined: 06 Mar 2007
Posts: 50

OSs vs OSes #11 (permalink) Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:48 pm   OSs vs OSes
 

Quote:
It seems to me that someone who would write "OSes" would be someone who always says "OS" rather than "operating system" when speaking


I've read such an answer on the Internet, so it's colourable.
Vishnya
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Joined: 06 Mar 2007
Posts: 50

OSs vs OSes #12 (permalink) Fri Jun 06, 2008 13:29 pm   OSs vs OSes
 

Vishnya wrote:
But in process of reading I find ASes (autonomous systemS) in this book. What is it? Mistake?
As regards writing the plural of 'AS' with an -es ending, perhaps the person simply didn't want to risk it being confused with the word 'ass'. :lol:
.
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Yankee
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OSs vs OSes #13 (permalink) Fri Jun 06, 2008 13:39 pm   OSs vs OSes
 

Yankee wrote:
Vishnya wrote:
But in process of reading I find ASes (autonomous systemS) in this book. What is it? Mistake?
As regards writing the plural of 'AS' with an -es ending, perhaps the person simply didn't want to risk it being confused with the word 'ass'. :lol:
.


It's a weighty argument. :lol:
Vishnya
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Joined: 06 Mar 2007
Posts: 50

OSs vs OSes #14 (permalink) Fri Jun 06, 2008 18:20 pm   OSs vs OSes
 

Molly wrote:
21,000 English pages for "mac OS's".
9,080 English pages for "mac OSs".

But:

42,600 English pages for "windows OS's".
98,500 English pages for "windows OSs".

And:

27,800 English pages for "linux OS's"
150,000 English pages for "linux OSs".

Hm...

You're not distinguishing plural from possessive.
Jamie (K)
I'm a Communicator ;-)


Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 6552
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA

OSs vs OSes #15 (permalink) Fri Jun 06, 2008 22:56 pm   OSs vs OSes
 

Jamie (K) wrote:
Hm...

You're not distinguishing plural from possessive.

I know, but why are you doing so?
Molly
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Joined: 12 Feb 2008
Posts: 4017

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