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What is the plural of “detective sergeantâ€
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What is the plural of "detective sergeant". In an episode of Endeavour, Superintendent Bright used "detectives sergeant" but this seems wrong, you wouldn't say "chiefs inspector" would you?
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asked 2 hours ago
Jonno
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What is the plural of "detective sergeant". In an episode of Endeavour, Superintendent Bright used "detectives sergeant" but this seems wrong, you wouldn't say "chiefs inspector" would you?
grammatical-number
asked 2 hours ago
Jonno
63
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
What is the plural of "detective sergeant". In an episode of Endeavour, Superintendent Bright used "detectives sergeant" but this seems wrong, you wouldn't say "chiefs inspector" would you?
grammatical-number
asked 2 hours ago
Jonno
63
What is the plural of "detective sergeant". In an episode of Endeavour, Superintendent Bright used "detectives sergeant" but this seems wrong, you wouldn't say "chiefs inspector" would you?
grammatical-number
grammatical-number
asked 2 hours ago
Jonno
63
asked 2 hours ago
Jonno
63
asked 2 hours ago
Jonno
63
asked 2 hours ago
Jonno
63
asked 2 hours ago
Jonno
63
63
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add a comment |Â
1 Answer
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up vote
3
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The origin of the word detective as in a policeman who 'detects' crimes is the adjective:
1828, short for detective police, from detective (adj.) "fitted for or skilled in detecting" (by 1828);
— Etymonline
It follows that, in detective sergeant, the word should also really be an adjective. That means the head of the noun group is sergeant, and detective is a simple attribute. Only the head should be pluralised, so it should be detective sergeants.
The script writers may have been confused by words like Knight Templar, in which the first word can be read as the noun and the second the adjective, in which case it should be Knights Templar.
answered 2 hours ago
Cerberus
53.3k2117202
Because of potential confusion with Queen's regent (singular "regent of The Queen"), a better example might be Knights Templar. And personally I don't really care much about the (inaudible) hyphen in Presidents-elect. Whatever - those scriptwriters really should learn better English, in a job like that.
– FumbleFingers
1 hour ago
@FumbleFingers: Very well, I'll replace it.
– Cerberus
1 hour ago
1
I have a feeling it's a hypercorrection from the rule in titles such as attorneys-general, governors-general, sergeants major, maybe even stuff like passers-by or courts martial. Also, @Jonno I have a doubt someone would be able to hear the difference between "detectives sergeant" and "detective sergeant". You would have to leave a strangely long pause between the two words to be able to distinguish the two esses.
– Zebrafish
52 mins ago
@Zebrafish: Yes, what I was trying to say in my last paragraph.
– Cerberus
17 mins ago
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
3
down vote
The origin of the word detective as in a policeman who 'detects' crimes is the adjective:
1828, short for detective police, from detective (adj.) "fitted for or skilled in detecting" (by 1828);
— Etymonline
It follows that, in detective sergeant, the word should also really be an adjective. That means the head of the noun group is sergeant, and detective is a simple attribute. Only the head should be pluralised, so it should be detective sergeants.
The script writers may have been confused by words like Knight Templar, in which the first word can be read as the noun and the second the adjective, in which case it should be Knights Templar.
answered 2 hours ago
Cerberus
53.3k2117202
Because of potential confusion with Queen's regent (singular "regent of The Queen"), a better example might be Knights Templar. And personally I don't really care much about the (inaudible) hyphen in Presidents-elect. Whatever - those scriptwriters really should learn better English, in a job like that.
– FumbleFingers
1 hour ago
@FumbleFingers: Very well, I'll replace it.
– Cerberus
1 hour ago
1
I have a feeling it's a hypercorrection from the rule in titles such as attorneys-general, governors-general, sergeants major, maybe even stuff like passers-by or courts martial. Also, @Jonno I have a doubt someone would be able to hear the difference between "detectives sergeant" and "detective sergeant". You would have to leave a strangely long pause between the two words to be able to distinguish the two esses.
– Zebrafish
52 mins ago
@Zebrafish: Yes, what I was trying to say in my last paragraph.
– Cerberus
17 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
The origin of the word detective as in a policeman who 'detects' crimes is the adjective:
1828, short for detective police, from detective (adj.) "fitted for or skilled in detecting" (by 1828);
— Etymonline
It follows that, in detective sergeant, the word should also really be an adjective. That means the head of the noun group is sergeant, and detective is a simple attribute. Only the head should be pluralised, so it should be detective sergeants.
The script writers may have been confused by words like Knight Templar, in which the first word can be read as the noun and the second the adjective, in which case it should be Knights Templar.
answered 2 hours ago
Cerberus
53.3k2117202
Because of potential confusion with Queen's regent (singular "regent of The Queen"), a better example might be Knights Templar. And personally I don't really care much about the (inaudible) hyphen in Presidents-elect. Whatever - those scriptwriters really should learn better English, in a job like that.
– FumbleFingers
1 hour ago
@FumbleFingers: Very well, I'll replace it.
– Cerberus
1 hour ago
1
I have a feeling it's a hypercorrection from the rule in titles such as attorneys-general, governors-general, sergeants major, maybe even stuff like passers-by or courts martial. Also, @Jonno I have a doubt someone would be able to hear the difference between "detectives sergeant" and "detective sergeant". You would have to leave a strangely long pause between the two words to be able to distinguish the two esses.
– Zebrafish
52 mins ago
@Zebrafish: Yes, what I was trying to say in my last paragraph.
– Cerberus
17 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
up vote
3
down vote
The origin of the word detective as in a policeman who 'detects' crimes is the adjective:
1828, short for detective police, from detective (adj.) "fitted for or skilled in detecting" (by 1828);
— Etymonline
It follows that, in detective sergeant, the word should also really be an adjective. That means the head of the noun group is sergeant, and detective is a simple attribute. Only the head should be pluralised, so it should be detective sergeants.
The script writers may have been confused by words like Knight Templar, in which the first word can be read as the noun and the second the adjective, in which case it should be Knights Templar.
answered 2 hours ago
Cerberus
53.3k2117202
The origin of the word detective as in a policeman who 'detects' crimes is the adjective:
1828, short for detective police, from detective (adj.) "fitted for or skilled in detecting" (by 1828);
— Etymonline
It follows that, in detective sergeant, the word should also really be an adjective. That means the head of the noun group is sergeant, and detective is a simple attribute. Only the head should be pluralised, so it should be detective sergeants.
The script writers may have been confused by words like Knight Templar, in which the first word can be read as the noun and the second the adjective, in which case it should be Knights Templar.
answered 2 hours ago
Cerberus
53.3k2117202
edited 1 hour ago
answered 2 hours ago
Cerberus
53.3k2117202
answered 2 hours ago
Cerberus
53.3k2117202
answered 2 hours ago
Cerberus
53.3k2117202
53.3k2117202
Because of potential confusion with Queen's regent (singular "regent of The Queen"), a better example might be Knights Templar. And personally I don't really care much about the (inaudible) hyphen in Presidents-elect. Whatever - those scriptwriters really should learn better English, in a job like that.
– FumbleFingers
1 hour ago
@FumbleFingers: Very well, I'll replace it.
– Cerberus
1 hour ago
1
I have a feeling it's a hypercorrection from the rule in titles such as attorneys-general, governors-general, sergeants major, maybe even stuff like passers-by or courts martial. Also, @Jonno I have a doubt someone would be able to hear the difference between "detectives sergeant" and "detective sergeant". You would have to leave a strangely long pause between the two words to be able to distinguish the two esses.
– Zebrafish
52 mins ago
@Zebrafish: Yes, what I was trying to say in my last paragraph.
– Cerberus
17 mins ago
add a comment |Â
Because of potential confusion with Queen's regent (singular "regent of The Queen"), a better example might be Knights Templar. And personally I don't really care much about the (inaudible) hyphen in Presidents-elect. Whatever - those scriptwriters really should learn better English, in a job like that.
– FumbleFingers
1 hour ago
@FumbleFingers: Very well, I'll replace it.
– Cerberus
1 hour ago
1
I have a feeling it's a hypercorrection from the rule in titles such as attorneys-general, governors-general, sergeants major, maybe even stuff like passers-by or courts martial. Also, @Jonno I have a doubt someone would be able to hear the difference between "detectives sergeant" and "detective sergeant". You would have to leave a strangely long pause between the two words to be able to distinguish the two esses.
– Zebrafish
52 mins ago
@Zebrafish: Yes, what I was trying to say in my last paragraph.
– Cerberus
17 mins ago
Because of potential confusion with Queen's regent (singular "regent of The Queen"), a better example might be Knights Templar. And personally I don't really care much about the (inaudible) hyphen in Presidents-elect. Whatever - those scriptwriters really should learn better English, in a job like that.
– FumbleFingers
1 hour ago
Because of potential confusion with Queen's regent (singular "regent of The Queen"), a better example might be Knights Templar. And personally I don't really care much about the (inaudible) hyphen in Presidents-elect. Whatever - those scriptwriters really should learn better English, in a job like that.
– FumbleFingers
1 hour ago
@FumbleFingers: Very well, I'll replace it.
– Cerberus
1 hour ago
@FumbleFingers: Very well, I'll replace it.
– Cerberus
1 hour ago
1
1
I have a feeling it's a hypercorrection from the rule in titles such as attorneys-general, governors-general, sergeants major, maybe even stuff like passers-by or courts martial. Also, @Jonno I have a doubt someone would be able to hear the difference between "detectives sergeant" and "detective sergeant". You would have to leave a strangely long pause between the two words to be able to distinguish the two esses.
– Zebrafish
52 mins ago
I have a feeling it's a hypercorrection from the rule in titles such as attorneys-general, governors-general, sergeants major, maybe even stuff like passers-by or courts martial. Also, @Jonno I have a doubt someone would be able to hear the difference between "detectives sergeant" and "detective sergeant". You would have to leave a strangely long pause between the two words to be able to distinguish the two esses.
– Zebrafish
52 mins ago
@Zebrafish: Yes, what I was trying to say in my last paragraph.
– Cerberus
17 mins ago
@Zebrafish: Yes, what I was trying to say in my last paragraph.
– Cerberus
17 mins ago
add a comment |Â
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