stadium.
Although several dictionaries seem to prefer *"stadia" as the plural, "stadiums" is the more natural and the more usual form. "Stadiums" is also 30 times as common — e.g.:
o "Dozens of stadiums have sprouted up all over the country in recent years." Lisa Respers, "Funds Sought for Stadium in Aberdeen," Baltimore Sun, 28 Apr. 1997, at B1.
o "The other 25 percent of the money would go for 'regional attractions' like baseball and football stadiums in Pittsburgh." Tom Barnes, "New Tax Bill Gives Counties More Backers," Pitt. Post-Gaz., 30 May 1997, at A1.
Language-Change Index — "stadiums": Stage 5.
*Invariably inferior forms.
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Quotation of the Day: "Metaphor is a handy linguistic tool, because it crams so many meanings into a few words. But metaphor is difficult to use skillfully, and, in the hands of a careless or malicious workman, it often gives the reader or listener a good deal of trouble. Metaphor can be a very subtle aid to slanting. And the more meaning that is packed into a metaphor, the harder it is for the critical reader to think through it." Monroe C. Beardsley, "Figurative Language" (1950), in Introductory Readings on Language 190, 196 (Wallace L. Anderson & Norman C. Stageberg eds., 3d ed. 1970).
