Foreign and Irregular Plural Forms
Foreign Plural Forms:
Some nouns of Greek and Latin origin retained their
original plural forms.
e.g
Singular
Analysis
Basis
Datum
Curriculum
Memorandum
Phenomenon
Formula
Locus
Plural
analyses
bases
data
curricula
memoranda
phenomena
formulae
loci
Irregular Plural Forms;
A). Some forms are characterized by the changed of the
internal vowel of the singular form . They are called "Mutation
Plural".
e.g
Singular
Man
Woman
Louse
Tooth
Foot
Goose
Child
Plural
men
women
lice
teeth
feet
geese
children
B).Some nouns have the same form for the singular as the
plural.
e.g
deer, sheep, swine, series, species, means.
The noun "fish" has two plural forms-"fish" "fishes" of
which the former is more commonly used.
C).Some nouns have two plural forms, each with a different
meaning;
e.g
brother;
brothers(sons of the same parents) brethren (member of the
same religious society)
penny:
pennies (the coins) I have six coins; five of them pennies.
Pence(the value) I Paid a pound and five pence.
Index;
Indexes(lists of contents of books).
Index(a mathematical term).
D). Some nouns singular in form, are used only in plural
sense.
e.g
people, poultry, cattle, mankind, clergy.
( "people"is the plural of "a people"=a nation)
Note; Beware of using such word as "advice
"Knowledge", "progress" "information" "furniture" in the
plural
E). In compound nouns the plural sign is generally related to
the principal component.
e.g
Singular
Maidservant
Mother-in-law
Armchair
Hold-up
Suitcase
plural
maidservants
mothers-in-law
armchairs
hold-ups
suitcases
Sometimes both components are pluralized, especially
"man or woman" is the first element of the compound.
Singular
Manservant
Woman-journalist
Lord-justice
plural
menservants
woman-journalists
lord-justices