What is the correct plural suffix for Latin nouns ending in -ix?

What is the correct plural suffix for Latin nouns ending in -ix?

• A. ices
• B. aces
• C. mata
• D. nges

Answer: (A)

Latin nouns that end in -ix form their plurals by replacing the -ix with -ices. This pattern shows up in many familiar words, such as matrix → matrices, index → indices, vortex → vortices, and appendix → appendices. So the plural suffix for these nouns is -ices, which is why that option is the best choice. The other endings don’t follow this -ix → -ices rule (for example, -ma changes to -mata in some words, and -ax or -nx endings would pattern differently), so they don’t fit the standard Latin pluralization for -ix endings.

Latin nouns that end in -ix form their plurals by replacing the -ix with -ices. This pattern shows up in many familiar words, such as matrix → matrices, index → indices, vortex → vortices, and appendix → appendices. So the plural suffix for these nouns is -ices, which is why that option is the best choice. The other endings don’t follow this -ix → -ices rule (for example, -ma changes to -mata in some words, and -ax or -nx endings would pattern differently), so they don’t fit the standard Latin pluralization for -ix endings.