>Yes, I'm continuing the off-topic rambling, but I for one am an >American and have always used "staffs" both in writing and >conversation. http://m-w.com is also quite informative on the >subject : > >http://m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=staff > > plural "staffs" or "staves" > singular "staff" or "stave" >
Quoting from the online Merriam-Webster: 5 plural staffs a : the officers chiefly responsible for the internal operations of an institution or business b : a group of officers appointed to assist a civil executive or commanding officer c : military or naval officers not eligible for operational command d : the personnel who assist a director in carrying out an assigned task e plural staff : a member of a staff Nowhere above is there a specific reference to the plural of "staff" as a musical symbol. See also: http://www.grovemusic.com/shared/views/article.htmlfrom=az§ion=music.26519 The article talks about Staff [stave] and in the body uses the plural "staves" and never "staffs". Also: http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/staff This quotes the 1913 Webster's and, indeed, as Peter Dobratz says, indicates that the plural in meanings 1-9, which include the horizontal lines used in musical notation, is "Staves" or "Staffs". By convention, "staves" is the preferred as it is listed first. -David _______________________________________________ Lilypond-user mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/lilypond-user
