The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #154988   Message #3641197
Posted By: GUEST,leeneia
11-Jul-14 - 09:05 AM
Thread Name: hobos or hoboes?
Subject: RE: hobos or hoboes?
I was taught that an English word gets the -es, but a foreign word gets the -s.

potatoes, but
scherzos

However, we borrow so many foreign words and get accustomed to them that after a while it's hard to tell what's foreign.

No doubt 'potato' itself came from some foreign tongue.

(I would use hobos because it's simpler.)