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What is the plural of the word charisma?




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Answer: charismata

Derived from the Greek kharis, grace, the word charisma denotes "the ability to inspire followers with devotion and enthusiasm"; collectively, a group of charismatics has charismata.


Please note that these are draft questions for the board game MooT.
If you spot an error or disagree with anything I've said here,
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(the Mootguy)

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I thought you might like to know that there is an error in your online game in respect to the plural of charisma. You state that the English word is derived from kharis meaning grace.

This is sort of true, but more precisely it is derived from the translitartion of the Greek word "Kharisma", alternatively spelt "charisma." This word means "gift".

Charisma the Greek word is derived from Charis, meaning grace, but the immediate origin of the English word is "charisma." Secondly, although the plural of the Greek word is indeed "charismata" being a neuter third declension noun ending in -ma, no such word exists in English.

The truth is that charisma is both singular and plural. "Fred has charisma", and "Fred and John have charisma" are both correct. The derived noun "charismatic", meaning someone endowed with charisma, has the plural "charismatics."
x-jessica_boxer.@.yahoo.com
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