On 6/14/2012 1:59 PM, John Howell wrote: > At 8:14 AM -0400 6/14/12, Dennis Bathory-Kitsz wrote: >> On Thu, June 14, 2012 7:36 am, Florence + Michael wrote: >>> Here's what Elaine Gould writes >>> "To keep the stave as uncluttered as possible >> >> Just curious: Do you use 'stave' for the singular form? It sounds odd to me, >> even though it's apparently correct. I hadn't heard this singular form until >> recently, and wondered if it's regional? > > > It may well be a cross-the-pond difference, as > some seem to think that a choice between "bar" > and "measure" is. (I've always used both terms > interchangeably.) > > To me it's always been obvious that a single > staff is a staff, and the plural is staves. > "Stave" as a singular feels like an incorrect > derivation. But that's just me. I'm also > careful to use "medium" as the singular of > "media"; "datum" as the singular of "data"; and > "timpano" as the singular of "timpani." >
On the other hand, if there are multiple groups of people working for an organization, they are pluralized to be "staffs." Again for the use of the word "staff" as a wooden stick, the plural is "staffs." So why, if the singular for a line of music is a "staff" isn't the plural "staffs?" And thinking about the plural for those pieces of wood shaped to form a barrel, they are called "staves" and the singular is called "stave" as in "a barrel stave." I think that somewhere long ago in history words got mistranslated out of the Italian and then misused in different English speaking areas. Since we're on lexicography, can anybody explain why sharps, flats and naturals are called "accidentals?" -- David H. Bailey dhbai...@davidbaileymusicstudio.com _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list Finale@shsu.edu http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
