I know it's pronounced kyoo-bye, and all, but...

[MaskedRetriever]

I can't stop pronouncing it QB.

Cubi is just the end form of both succubi and inccubi, which are definitely pronounced with a hard "I" at the end.

Pronouncing it Cubie, as in Cupi Doll or the abbreviation for Quarterback, is just way more fun.  Just a thought.

[Aridas]

and also make you look stupid to anyone who can figure out what the hell you're saying, but what do I know...

[techmaster-glitch]

I'm on your side, Masked. Here's how I see it work;
If a pluralized word ends in an 'i', it's pronouced 'aye', (succubi, incubi)
If the singular word ends with an 'i', it's prnounced with an 'Eee' sound instead (dijinni, efreeti, janni)

Since the word 'cubi' is usedf as both singluar and plural, it could legitimately gow both ways at once. I for one, am in favor of the cue-bee pronunciation. Mainly because, for some reason, 'cue-bye' just doesn't sound right to me.

[Tapewolf]

No-one ever says "succubee" 

[techmaster-glitch]

No-one ever says "succubee" 

Who are you talking to? No one's said that.

[Aridas]

Someone's going to draw a succubus bee now, aren't they?

[ShadowStep]

  *Ahem*

Succubus. S-E-X-Y.

  *Cheers*

Yay yay yay! Did I win the succubus bee? O_o?

[techmaster-glitch]

...Again, I don't know if I should cheer you as well, or smite you to hell. (hey, a rhyme!)
Right now, I'm currently leaning toward 'cheering'.

[ShadowStep]

  O_o? Im just trying to be funny. If anyone finds me annoying just tell me and I'll shut up and go to another topic lol. I dont want to start any shit

[techmaster-glitch]

No, no, you are being funny, it's just that the outwardness and audacity, especially from a newbie, have left me stunned.
Don't take that a bad way. It's not too often we see a newbie with your boldness.

[Angel]

No, no, you are being funny, it's just that the outwardness and audacity, especially from a newbie, have left me stunned.

(appears in a Jedi robe)

The force is strong in this one.

I like this guy! He even spelled "Abel" right! (I think that particular group of letters can spell a whole lotta words...)

[ShadowStep]

  Nah, im not bold mate. It's just that im a layed back person and Im not afraid to get in trouble. Don't like it, and I avoid it cuz I usually end up hurting other people, but Im afraid of it.

*Yawns*

  You like me O_o? Yay I gotsa new friend

[Zedd]

Im sure most of you have to rember..Cubi are everywhere...And anyone..Muwhahahahahaha 

[Brunhidden]

Everywhere? Anyone? possibly true, but they're a 'top predator' (i know of several above them, but thats another story) so their numbers must be low enough to permit free feeding without decimating the food supply.

lets say between one in a thousand and one in ten thousand may be a cubi, thus your chances of inadvertently offending one by using 'cubi' incorrectly in a casual conversation are minute.

the scenario also brings to mind those old daytime 'talkshows' where unwitting couples come up to hear their spouse is really the opposite gender. talking smack about cubi (yes, i said 'smack', how urban of me ) to your significant other may yield a set of wings and tentacles you had not known about before... probably a lot more shocking then finding the absence or presence of a hotdog, and a lot less likely you would have found out any other way.

It is easier to live through someone else than to become complete yourself

[MaskedRetriever]

No-one ever says "succubee" 

So the correct way to refer to a single Succubus or Incubus without specifying gender would be "Cubus".

"Cubie" sounds freakin adorible, though.

[techmaster-glitch]

So the correct way to refer to a single Succubus or Incubus without specifying gender would be "Cubus".

Um, no, it is 'cubi''. You really aren't helping our case with a comment like that, Retriever.

[Fuyudenki]

the scenario also brings to mind those old daytime 'talkshows' where unwitting couples come up to hear their spouse is really the opposite gender. talking smack about cubi (yes, i said 'smack', how urban of me ) to your significant other may yield a set of wings and tentacles you had not known about before... probably a lot more shocking then finding the absence or presence of a hotdog, and a lot less likely you would have found out any other way.

Realizing I have no experience with the matter, how dim does one have to be to fail to notice the undue lack or presence of said hotdog in less than a weeks' time?  If I'm getting married, the world can wait for me to spend some quality time with my new wife.  I don't care what problems the world is facing, she's MY WIFE, and I'm going to spend some quality time with her!

In today's society, I suspect the first hour of the first date is when most people would be forced to reveal their true sex(since "gender" is a psychological term)...

[thegayhare]

Someone's going to draw a succubus bee now, aren't they?

Ohh Zina's Ichabod would do very nicely for that... I can just picture litle bee headwings too

[Rafe]

Getting Latin-nerdy here, the plural of "sucubus" isn't  sucubi.

The plural of "sucubus" is "sucubae".

Always glad to add to the confusion.

[techmaster-glitch]

But we're not speaking latin. We're speaking english. Which takes latin words (or words from any other language for that matter, but especially latin), butchers them, then gives them the offical label of an 'english' word.


Confusion avoided!

[Faerie Alex]

Getting Latin-nerdy here, the plural of "sucubus" isn't  sucubi.

The plural of "sucubus" is "sucubae".

Always glad to add to the confusion.

But then the singular should be succuba. -us is a masculine ending anyway.

[Zedd]

All in all...Its a fond of a lovely name that just rolls it off your tounge

[SpottedKitty]

We're speaking english. Which takes latin words (or words from any other language for that matter, but especially latin), butchers them, then gives them the offical label of an 'english' word.

<nod> I prefer this quotation:

"The problem with defending the purity of the English language [...] It not only borrows words from other languages; it has on occasion chased other languages down dark alley-ways, clubbed them unconscious and rifled their pockets for new vocabulary."   
-- James Nicoll

[Rafe]

Spotted  Kitty reminded me of that Nicoll quote.  The full version is

"The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary."
-- James D. Nicoll

That quote's getting to be famous. It was originally posted by him on the rec.arts.sf-lovers newsgroup.  At Anthrocon, they were selling T-shirts emblazoned with it (and a very nice, violent mugging illustration).  I should have bought one.

[Reese Tora]

Which booth was selling them? I didn't see any like that.

[Zedd]

It was in the way back Reese

[superluser]

The plural of "sucubus" is "sucubae".

As modelincard hinted, this isn't correct.

-ae (as plural) is only found in the first declension, where it indicates the nom. plural of any first declension noun, masculine or feminine.  (first declension nouns are typically feminine, but some are masculine)

-us (as singular) can be found in three declensions: the second, the third, or the fourth.  It is almost always indicative of the second declension, where it exclusively refers to masculine nouns.  The nom. plural of any second declension masculine is -i.  In the third declension, a -us ending is rare, and the nom. plural would be -es for masculine and -(i)a for neuter.  In the fourth declension, the nom. plural would be -us if the singular were -us.

That may be boring, but here's something that should be a bit more interesting.  Since succubus is indeed second declension, it means that the people who were talking about it saw succubi as masculine, despite being outwardly female--probably since they were demons.

[Rafe]

Thanks Superluser, I like your explaination the best. 
Now I know who to give all future Latin grammar questions to.

[Kasarn]

So, I, like, looked it up on Wikipedia and Dictionary.com
Succubus is Middle English derived from the Late Latin succuba, meaning strumpet or paramour (oh those fancy words... see slut, whore, prostitute)

MYSTERY SOLVED... well, unless somebody wants to look it up in the OED or something.

[rabid_fox]

Cube-eye here. Which is an equally intruiging pronounciation if you think about it. It'd be pointy in your skill, that's for sure.