Alumnae vs Alumni

[Deepurple]

Alumna (sing.) - Alumnae (pl.): for women students
Alumnus (sing.) - Alumni (pl.): for men students.

What is the term which covers both genders?

Thank you for helping.

 

[BobK]

I suspect it's alumni. I've only met a rule in this area in French - where a group of a dozen women and one man are les rather than elles.

But I'd avoid the problem by saying 'past students' or 'graduates' or 'old boys/girls' - as appropriate.

b

 

[Anglika]

I have never seen "alumna" used in the UK. It seems to be a primarily American word.

For the plural keep to "alumni". Everyone knows what it means.

 

[Deepurple]

I have never seen "alumna" used in the UK. It seems to be a primarily American word.

For the plural keep to "alumni". Everyone knows what it means.

My curiosity drove me to ask such a question when I came across the following definitions but unable to find the term for an old boy.

Longman Dict
Alumna
plural alumnae /
[countable] formal
a woman who is a former student of a school, college, etc.

Alumnus
plural alumni /
[countable] formal
a former student of a school, college etc.
alumni noun

 

[apex2000]

Alumnus (pl. alumni) is the term that is used generally for all former pupils or students - any gender and mixed.
As the previous answers have indicated alumna/ae is rarely seen in the UK, except for some old girls' associations where they want to show they know the difference.;-), but it perfectly correct to use it here for female only groups.

 

[Deepurple]

Alumnus (pl. alumni) is the term that is used generally for all former pupils or students - any gender and mixed.
As the previous answers have indicated alumna/ae is rarely seen in the UK, except for some old girls' associations where they want to show they know the difference.;-), but it perfectly correct to use it here for female only groups.

Thank you to all.

 

[Deepurple]

While flipping "How to use the right words" of "Reader's Digest" in a public library, I found that the author defines old girls as alumna(pl. alumnae) while old boys as alumnus(pl.alumni). Maybe American teachers could comment on that.:?:

 

[apex2000]

While flipping "How to use the right words" of "Reader's Digest" in a public library, I found that the author defines old girls as alumna(pl. alumnae) while old boys as alumnus(pl.alumni). Maybe American teachers could comment on that.:?:

Readers Digest is an American publication with a British arm. Much of what you can read in that magazine has strong US bias. The US has a habit of being pedantic about separating many things and this is probably one of them.