Inflections. In -oes. Collective nouns. Nouns of multitude. Abstract nouns. Defective in the singular. Note. The two last classes (5 and 6) contain only words of Anglo-Saxon origin. This mode of inflection as regards new words is obsolete. (7.) By adding -es to nouns ending in -0, when a consonant immediately precedes the -o; as, cargo, cargoes; potato, potatoes; negro, negroes; echo, echoes; volcano, volcanoes; hero, heroes; except canto, quarto, grotto, and proper names, as Cato, which form their plurals by the addition of -s only. Collective nouns are singular in form but plural in meaning, and can, therefore, have no plural inflection; as, sheep, deer, gold, cattle. Collective nouns, which may be considered as units when compared with others of the same class, form their plurals according to the above rules; as, army, armies; people, peoples; parliament, parliaments. Note. To distinguish these latter from the former class of collective nouns, they are sometimes called nouns of multitude. The other nouns that are defective in the plural are the names of abstract qualities; as, justice, mercy, fidelity, truth; though these take a plural when used as concrete nouns; e.g., The Justices of the Peace; Thank God for all His mercies, i.e., acts of mercy; These are startling truths. NOUNS DEFECTIVE IN THE SINGULAR. Some nouns from their nature want the singular number, as they only exist in pairs or in the plural; as, annals, antipodes, archives, arms, ashes, assets, bellows, billiards, bowels, com passes, clothes, calends, customs (duties on im- Inflections. ported goods), dregs, embers, entrails, goods, ides, lees, measles, nippers, pincers, scissors, shambles, shears, snuffers, sweepstakes, thanks, ongs, trowsers, vespers, victuals, vitals. NOUNS REDUNDANT IN NUMBER. Some nouns have two forms for the plural Redundant with different meanings: as, in the plurals. Such words as apex, apices; memorandum, Foreign memoranda; tumulus, tumuli, etc., are simply Latin or Greek words, with Latin or Greek plurals. NOUNS ANOMALOUS IN NUmber. Alms. Alms is not etymologically a plural, as the s Anomalies. is part of the root, almesse, Anglo-Saxon, from the Greek eleemosyné. Acts iii. 3. "He asked an alms." Nuptials, which is now used only in the Nuptials. plural, was singular in Shakespeare's time; as,— Inflections. Anomalies. Riches. News. Means. Gallows. "Methinks a father Is, at the nuptial of his son, a guest That best becomes the table."-A Winter's Tale. "Lift up your countenance, as it were the day Of celebration of that nuptial, which We too have sworn shall come."-A Winter's Tale. Riches is not etymologically a plural, as the s is part of the root, richesse, French. "The riches of a ship is come to shore."-Othello. "But riches fineless is as poor as winter To him that ever fears he shall be poor."-Othello. Note.-Both alms and riches are now treated as plurals in Syntax. "What riches give us let us then inquire."-POPE. "When you sing, I'd have you buy and sell so; so give alms." News is really a plural, but it is used as a singular in Syntax; as, This is good news. “This news is mortal to the queen."-A Winter's Tale. "The best news is that we have safely found Means is also plural in form, though it is generally used as a singular; as, by this means, by that means. Shakespeare uses the singular mean "Yet nature is made better by no mean But nature makes that mean. "" in Gallows is a real plural, but is also used as a singular noun; as,— "I prophesied if a gallows were on land, Inflections. Anomalies. Pence is used as a collective term, and also Pence. takes a plural in composition; as, How many sixpences are there in a sovereign ? Children and brethren are double plurals, the Children. r + en in children, and the change of the Brethren. vowel + en in brethren. Shoon, kine, swine, and welkin are etymo- Shoon. logically plural forms in -en, as oxen from Kine. shoe (shoen) shoon; cow (cowen) kine; sow Swine. (sowen) swine; wolk, obsolete (wolken), welkin welkin. the clouds. = "The sun of heaven, methought, was loth to set, But stayed, and made the western welkin blush." King John. "Sound but another [drum], and another shall, As loud as thine, rattle the welkin's ear." King John. Kine and swine are now used chiefly as collective nouns. "The kine are couched upon the dewy grass.' WORDSWORTH. Swine is used by Shakespeare as a singular noun; as, "How like a swine he lies." Horse has two meanings in the singular; as, Horse. a horse an animal; a body of horse = troop of cavalry; but only one in the plural; as, horses= animals. Custom has only one meaning in the singular; Custom. as, custom-habit; but two meanings in the Anomalies. Inflections. plural; as, customs = habits, and customs = import duties. Foot. Pain. Compass. Jewry, etc. Eyry. Ethics, etc. = Foot has two meanings in the singular; as, foot part of the body, and foot = infantry; but only one in the plural; as, feet=parts of the body. Pain has only one meaning in the singular; as, pain = ache; but two in the plural; as, pains = aches, and pains = trouble. Compass has two meanings in the singular; as, compass = girth, and compass = a mariner's compass; but only one in the plural; as, compasses mathematical instruments. The termination -ry, -ery, has a locative signification in Jewry, brewery, rookery, nunnery, tannery, etc.; and a collective meaning in yeomanry, soldiery, cavalry, infantry, chivalry. Eyry=eggery, i.e., a nest; being derived from ey=egg, Teutonic. It may perhaps, be a corruption of aery, French aire, as it is only applied to the nests or homes of birds of prey, which are always built on very high rocks or trees. "No. Know the gallant monarch is in arms; King John. "There the eagle and the stork MILTON. Such words as ethics, metaphysics, politics, optics, pneumatics, mathematics, are plurals, and are derived from the Greek plural adjectives, ta ethica, etc., meaning treatises on ethics, etc. |