I've always heard "indices" used as the plural of "index." But just in the last week, I've heard two business commentators on the radio say "indice" in the singular instead of "index." This seems just plain wrong, but I looked it up in a couple of online dictionaries, and apparently it is an obsolete form of "index." Has anyone else heard "indice" used in legitimate speech or writing? Or is it just one announcer following another without anybody looking it up?

Wordmatic, was it pronounced: in-di-SEE? If so, I believe I have heard it. Now that you mention it, it is rather strange. Maybe that form of the word is coming back.

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Originally posted by Kalleh:
Wordmatic, was it pronounced: in-di-SEE? If so, I believe I have heard it. Now that you mention it, it is rather strange. Maybe that form of the word is coming back.

No, it was pronounced IN-deh-see. Weird, huh?

P.S. I finally got back to revising that lim. :-)

I haven't heard it used. My guess is that it's an incorect back-formation from indices.

In most style guides I've used as a technical writer, index ~ indices refers to mathematical and programmtic indices, while index ~ indexes refers to the alphabetical list of topics at the end of most books. (I am not stating that this is the one an only correct situation, but merely what I have noticed in my line of work.)

On the less serious side, isn't indice the plural of indie?

Yes, the dictionaries all seem to make that distinction-- indices for plural of technical index and indexes for plural of non-technical ones.

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On the less serious side, isn't indice the plural of indie?

Good one! No, indice is the plural of indouse.

No, indice is the plural of indouse.

Ah, thank you; now I can sleep at night. And, indousing is not to be confused with outdousing.

I wouldn't be able to sleep with all those indice skittering around under the bed and between the walls. They nibble at anything, especially your toes. ;-)