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From: colonel@gloria.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: vaxen, oxen, and foxen
Message-ID: <832@gloria.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 13-Jun-85 12:07:54 EDT
Article-I.D.: gloria.832
Posted: Thu Jun 13 12:07:54 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 15-Jun-85 10:07:08 EDT
References: <546@hou2b.UUCP> <561@umd5.UUCP> <666@bbnccv.UUCP>
Organization: SUNY-Buffalo Computer Sci.
Lines: 19

["In the service of Virman Vundabar we learn perfection!"]

> >Note also that to collectively refer to the many VAX computers out there
> >a lot of people use the coined term "VAXEN", probably a derivative of
> >"vixen" or something.  There is probably some language that has contributed
> >to English that uses a suffix "en" to denote a plural, and subconscious
> >memory supplies the usage.
> 
> VAXen is probably more akin to "oxen" then "vixen", as far as derivation.
> The "en" suffix is a German pluralization, which has leaked over into English
> in words such as "oxen".

The -en of vixen is the -in of modern German: a feminine suffix.

		"In St. Louie they ruin it,
		 But they think they're doin' it!"
-- 
Col. G. L. Sicherman
...{rocksvax|decvax}!sunybcs!colonel