Moderator note: split from this thread: Platypus at San Diego Zoo Safari Park [San Diego Zoo Safari Park] Platypodes?
"Platypodes" is a made-up word used on the internet as a plural for Platypus. Most internet "dictionaries" will say it is "rarely-used"...
It's not made-up. This dictionary.com article about a similar term, octopode, explains it: The Many Plurals of 'Octopus' Platypus is also a Greek derived word.
Neither -pode nor -pi are used in Australia, ever. it is either "platypuses" or more often just "platypus" as in "I saw several platypus in the river".
I just did a quick Google search: 'octopuses' returns 237,000,000 'octopi' returns 2,430,000 results 'octopodes' returns 385,000 results I am deeply descriptivist rather than prescriptivist when it comes to language, so I would just say that in common usage 'octopuses' is overwhelmingly popular. Funnily, when you search for 'octopodes' the above link is the first hit, but that may just be the algorithm.
What's funny about that result is that it shows how common the incorrect usage of English is. "Octopi" is not correct in any sense - it comes from people somehow assuming that, whatever the word, -us in plural becomes -i (which is also why the ridiculous "platypi" is so common).
From a linguistic perspective, a usage that is so common (if you google platypi you get a similar number of results to platypuses) is basically by definition an acceptable variant and therefore correct.
Just for more discussion: Platypi 1,320,000 results Platypuses 592,000 results Platypodes 15,000 results
If it is in common usage in some dialects, then yes. That doesn't necessarily mean people should write like that in their job applications, but if the usage becomes widespread enough then over time that is what will happen.
