Q. In a recent Q&A, you insist that “et al.” can be used only for two or more individuals. But cannot “et al.” equally be an abbreviated form of the singular “et alius”? And, as such, can it not be used for a single individual?
A. You’re right, there’s no reason et al. couldn’t stand for et alius (“and another”) rather than et alii/aliae/alia (“and others”). For our answer we (mostly) relied on Merriam-Webster and the OED, both of which define et al. only as “and others” and both of which cite et alii (masculine), et aliae (feminine), and et alia (neuter) as the only spelled-out forms. Maybe the dictionaries are right. Or maybe they’re missing the occasional singular use hidden behind the abbreviation. And it’s not like the world would end if one were to use et al. to stand in for a single person. We’ll keep tabs on this issue and consider reconsidering our advice someday.