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In the card game Dominion, I always thought that the “Platinum” card, in the plural form, would be “Platinums”. However, Dominion Online lists the plural form as “Platina”.

Is this correct, or is Dominion Online wrong?

MrHiTech
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  • Do dictionaries (eg Wiktionary) have anything to say on the matter? If they don't list any plural form, what does this suggest? // What if 'platina' had another related meaning (Free Dictionary? Would this make the whimsical plural more or less acceptable? – Edwin Ashworth Nov 12 '19 at 19:24
  • The plural of several metals refers to common objects made from those metals. For example irons, coppers, leads, but I don't know of silvers, golds, etc unless it refers to colours. – Weather Vane Nov 12 '19 at 19:32
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    Given that the card is a proper noun in the game, presumably they can make it plural however they like. – TaliesinMerlin Nov 12 '19 at 19:32
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    Whatever the game wishes, but hardly a concern of this site. In English platinum is a metal and uncountable. I would say “platinum cards”, but then, I would, wouldn’t I? – David Nov 12 '19 at 19:33
  • Platinumerous, obviously. – Hot Licks Nov 12 '19 at 20:34
  • Wise people wishing to avoid pedantry and pedants will buy two “sets of Platinum” for their two cousins or be delighted to have been dealt “two Platinum cards.”. But the automatic observation of Latin or Greek plural forms is dying out, except where they are already embedded, as with ‘data’. Even here, few people speak of ‘a datum (singular). ‘Animal’ is originally Latin word, but nobody would think of asking “What are those animalia on that hill over there?”. – Tuffy Nov 12 '19 at 21:47
  • In Platinum card, platinum is an adjective, therefore it has no plural. It's only the noun (card) that becomes plural: Platinum *cards. If the card is made of platinum* (noun), then there is no plural form—it's a noncount noun. (As per the accepted answer.) – Jason Bassford Nov 24 '19 at 02:18

1 Answers1

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According to The Cambridge Dictionary the plural form is the same as the singular one:

platinum noun (no plural )

a silver-coloured metal that is very valuable

Plata is the Spanish form from which platinum derives:

Origin of platinum

Modern Latin from Spanish platina, diminutive of plata, silver from Prov, metal plate, silver bar, silver from Vulgar Latin an unverified form plattus, flat.

(Yourdictionary.com)

The plural form for the game is “platinum cards”:

Platinum is a basic Treasure card from Prosperity. It and Colony may be added to the supply in games using Kingdom cards from Prosperity. The Platinum pile contains 12 cards.

user 66974
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