“Journey” is one of those words that confuses a lot of people. Some people will say the plural of this word is “journeys,” some others will say it is “journies,” but which one is the correct plural form?
The correct spelling for the plural form is “journeys,” why? Because this word is an exception to the rule that says the words that end in “y” in their plural form, it will change to “ies.”
This article will tell you about the rule, origin of the word, how people use it, as well as give some examples of how to use this confusing term.
Origin And Meaning
“Journey” means traveling, and this could be through land or sea, from one location to another.
The origins date back to an ancient form of Latin. The beginning of the term is the Latin word “diurnus,” which transformed into “diurnum,” meaning “daily portion.” This word is the origin of the Old French word “jornee,” people used it to describe a day, a day’s travel, or work.
The word “journey” itself comes from the Old French word “jornee.”
Exception To The Rule?
There is a rule when a word ends in “y” to make the plural form the “y” will be changed for “ies.” But the word “journeys” is an exception to the rule; it has another one.
With words that end in “vowel+y,” we add “s” at the end to create the plural form of the word. This is why the plural form of “journey” is “journeys,” as the end of the term is “ey.”
Other Words With “Vowel+Y Ending” And Their Plural Form
- Day – Days
- Way – Ways
- Delay – Delays
- Essay – Essays
- Toy – Toys
- Boy – Boys
- Valley – Valleys
- Donkey – Donkeys
- Key – Keys
- Guy – Guys
- Kidney – Kidneys
- Trolley – Trolleys
- Turkey – Turkeys
- Monkey – Monkeys
- Play – Plays
- Survey – Surveys
Related Words
The word “journey” does not have a direct synonym, but there is a long list of terms related to it or with similar meanings.
- Trip
- Tour
- Expedition
- Cruise
- Safari
- Voyage
- Ride
- Crossing
- Passage
- Wandering
- Travels
- Flight
- Drive
- Hike
- Migration
- Route
- Odyssey
How People Use The Word
People used the word to talk about the mobilization of a person from one place to another. Most of the time, it is used to talk about a long trip, where many things might occur, this is why it is more used when traveling by land or sea. The word “journey” could be used to talk about the stay of a person in another place.
“Journey” is also used in religion. People use it to talk about a person’s path through their spirituality or getting closer to the God they serve.
Nowadays, people use the word “journey” to talk about when people are going through some difficult times. People use this because our moods and thoughts are impacted by the words we used to describe them.
Studies have shown that when we use more positive language to describe things or events, people might surpass or remember things in a less traumatic or violent way.
Examples
- It took a lot of courage from Christobal Columbus to propose to go on a journey to find a new route to get the spices. After discovering America, he made a few more journeys to and from Spain.
- I love long journeys, like road trips, this way you can get to know every place from a new and exciting perspective.
- It is a two or three hours journey from Miami to New York City if going by plane. It could take even 24 hours if you take a bus.
- He began his spiritual journey ten years ago. Since then, he has done a lot of good things for this world. There is no doubt that his journey taught him his true purpose in life.
- The royal family has to take regular journeys to various estates, and their personnel must travel with them.
- He worked hard so he could pay the expenses of his last journey to Egypt.
- His new job involved several journeys to Europe and the Caribbean. He was excited about this, but in a short time, he got exhausted due to the time changes he was experiencing and the long flights.
- They talked a lot about history; they even talked about all the Scottish’s journeys to convince people, recollect money and get help for the Jacobites and their cause.
- I do not care about the long journeys; I will enjoy every moment. I am so excited about learning things about every town I get the chance to visit.
- It took him a few journeys to discover his purpose and rediscover himself.
- People say life is a journey, but I prefer to think that life is a collection of different journeys that lead you to various destinations. You choose in which one you stay longer or which one you leave behind sooner rather than later.
- He went on a three-month journey to India to learn about the culture and culinary traditions and some rare and unique dishes.
- His assistant made all the arrangements for all his journeys from January to November. For December, he made the arrangements for a family vacation trip to the Caribbean.
- The journey from home to my job takes me almost an hour. I am asking for a transfer to their new location that is around 15 minutes away from home.
- Did you enjoy your journey with us?
- It was a bumpy flight, but all the flight attendants made sure we had a pleasant journey.
- During high school, students tend to go on several journeys to create a bond and to recreate. Sometimes they go camping, sometimes to get to know other cities.
- The perfect job for me includes many journeys to know different places, people, and cultures; this is why I majored in tourism management at college.
- She was suspicious about all of his sudden journeys.
- Charlie started to write a book based on the journals he kept during his journeys.
Some Quotes
- “Life is just a journey” – Diana, Princess of Wales.
- “The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step” – Chinese Proverb by Lao-Tzu.
- “Enjoy the journey, enjoy every moment, and quit worrying about winning and losing” – Matt Biondi.
- “The journey is the reward” – Chinese Proverb.
- “The road of life twists and turns, and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey; not the destination.” – Don Williams, Jr.
Other Word Usage Posts
When To Use Journey, Trip, Travel, And Voyage
Some words might be confusing to use. “Journey” has many similar words, so getting confused about using each one is more common than what people might think. Here you can find the difference between the words journey, trip, travel, and voyage.
- Journey means moving from one place to another; in this case, people move in a vehicle most of the time. We use “journey” to talk about a single piece of travel; it can also be a regular thing.
- Trip is used to talk about the entire process of moving from one place to another and coming back. A trip takes more than one journey.
- Travel is more general; this word means moving from one place to another, most of the time is used for long distances.
- Voyage is less common; nowadays, people do not use this word that much. A voyage refers to a very long trip; use it more often for sea or space trips.
Conclusion
The use of “journey” might be tricky, but it is clear that most of the time, we use it to talk about just one part of a trip and primarily by vehicle.
As the rule to form a plural for words ending in “vowel+y” says that we should only add “s” at the end, the correct spelling for the plural of “journey” is “journeys,” not “journies,” as some people might think.
Now that you know this. Tell us about your journeys. Have you gone on a really long journey by car?
Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. He’s one part content manager, one part writing ninja organizer, and two parts leader of top content creators. You don’t even want to know what he calls pancakes.