10,000

I learn new words from listening to other people speak but mostly from reading.  One word whose use slightly confused me for some time was "myriad".  Years ago I read something like "there are myriad uses for the glockenspiel".  From the context I determined that it meant something like many.  For whatever reason though, its use as an adjective made me feel slightly uneasy.

I also encountered myriad parading around as a noun!  "There are a myriad of noses on the jabberwocky".  This felt a bit more natural to me, like "a bunch of".  After reading both versions several times in different locations I determined that either way was probably acceptable.  Now years later I finally took the time to look it up (so I could write this).

Apparently myriad is a Greek word for the number ten thousand.  So some people believe that if you just think of replacing myriad with 10,000 you can tell if the usage is correct.  Following that logic, it doesn't make sense to say "there are a ten thousand of okapis living on Mars".  However apparently the use of myriad as a noun in English dates back to the 16th century; before it was used as an adjective.

So everyone can rest easy now.  We're both right.