English noun/Catalogs/English irregular nouns: Difference between revisions
imported>Ro Thorpe mNo edit summary |
John Leach (talk | contribs) m (Text replacement - "J.R.R. Tolkien" to "J. R. R. Tolkien") |
||
| (8 intermediate revisions by one other user not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
The normal way to form a plural noun in '''English''' is to add the [[suffix]] -'''s''', which changes into -'''es''' after '''s''', '''z''', '''ch''' and '''sh'''. Nouns with the stem ending in -'''ŷ''' after a consonant replace this ending with -'''íes'''<ref>This does not apply to proper nouns: '''Thére are thrêe Mãrys and tŵo Marìes ín the clāss''' shows the plurals of '''Mãry''' and '''Marìe''' respectively.</ref> (after vowels: '''dónkeys''', '''Mòndâys''', formed regularly). But there are also many '''irregular nouns''', some with English roots, others with plural forms from Latin, Greek, French, Italian, Hebrew and Arabic. (''The accents, which are not part of the language, are included to show stress and pronunciation: see [[English spellings]] for a table and [[English phonemes]] for the [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]. There is also a key at the foot of this page. Words in italics suggest meaning, and an equals sign is placed between [[homophones]].'') | |||
The normal way to form a plural noun in '''English''' is to add the [[suffix]] -'''s''', which changes into -'''es''' | |||
Nouns in -'''f''' vary between -'''fs''' and -'''ves'''. In particular, the traditional plural of '''dwårf''' was '''dwårfs''', but [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] popularized '''dwårves'''. | Nouns in -'''f''' vary between -'''fs''' and -'''ves'''. In particular, the traditional plural of '''dwårf''' was '''dwårfs''', but [[J. R. R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] popularized '''dwårves'''. | ||
Nouns in -'''o''' that always change to -'''ôes''' in the plural are included in the table below; others are regular, ending in -'''ôs''', while '''búffalo, càrgo, hâlo, mosquìto''' (-skì-), '''mótto, nô, tornâdo, volcâno''' and '''zêro''' can be seen with both -'''ôs''' and -'''ôes'''. | Nouns in -'''o''' that always change to -'''ôes''' in the plural are included in the table below; others are regular, ending in -'''ôs''', while '''búffalo, càrgo, dómino, hâlo, mosquìto''' (-skì-), '''mótto, nô, tornâdo, volcâno''' and '''zêro''' can be seen with both -'''ôs''' and -'''ôes'''. | ||
Nouns of Latin origin in -'''us''' that always have -'''î''' in the plural are listed below, while '''cáctus, fôcus, fúngus, hippopótamus''', '''óctopus''' and '''sýllabus''' can have both -'''î''' and -'''uses''' (though ''octopodes'', not '''óctopi''', is the correct Latin). | Nouns of Latin origin in -'''us''' that always have -'''î''' in the plural are listed below, while '''cáctus, fôcus, fúngus, hippopótamus''', '''óctopus''' and '''sýllabus''' can have both -'''î''' and -'''uses''' (though ''octopodes'', not '''óctopi''', is the correct Latin). | ||
| Line 15: | Line 14: | ||
==Invariable nouns== | ==Invariable nouns== | ||
The following have the same form in the singular and plural: '''ãircraft, bárracks, bîson, cód, cróssroads, dêer''' ''animal'' (= '''dêar''' ''loved, expensive''), '''dîce''' ('''dîe''' as the singular of '''dîce''' is archaic), '''físh''' (although '''físhes''' can be used if more than one species of fish is involved),<ref>[http://www.tellmewhyfacts.com/2007/01/when-do-you-use-word-fish-and-fishes.html Use of '''físhes''']</ref> '''gállows, hálibut, ínnings''' (''cricket''; in ''baseball'' the singular is '''ínning'''), '''héadquarters, mêans, moôse, óffspring, përch''' ''fish'' (otherwise '''përches'''), '''pîke''' ''fish'' (otherwise '''pîkes'''), '''sálmon''' (*sámmon), '''sêries, shêep, spêcies''' (-shíz), '''tròut''' and '''tûna'''. | The following have the same form in the singular and plural: '''ãircraft, bárracks, bîson, cód, cróssroads, dêer''' ''animal'' (= '''dêar''' ''loved, expensive''), '''dîce''' ('''dîe''' as the singular of '''dîce''' is archaic), '''físh''' (although '''físhes''' can be used if more than one species of fish is involved),<ref>[http://www.tellmewhyfacts.com/2007/01/when-do-you-use-word-fish-and-fishes.html Use of '''físhes'''].</ref> '''gállows, hálibut, ínnings''' (''cricket''; in ''baseball'' the singular is '''ínning'''), '''héadquarters, mêans, moôse, óffspring, përch''' ''fish'' (otherwise '''përches'''), '''pîke''' ''fish'' (otherwise '''pîkes'''), '''sálmon''' (*sámmon), '''sêries, shêep, spêcies''' (-shíz), '''tròut''' and '''tûna'''. | ||
==Nouns with both regular and irregular forms== | ==Nouns with both regular and irregular forms== | ||
| Line 39: | Line 38: | ||
{|class="wikitable" width=60% style="margin-left: 2em;" | {|class="wikitable" width=60% style="margin-left: 2em;" | ||
|- | |- | ||
|'''alùmnus<ref>Less common are the feminine forms '''alùmna''' ''singular'', '''alùmnae''' ''plural''</ref> | |'''alùmnus<ref>Less common are the feminine forms '''alùmna''' ''singular'', '''alùmnae''' ''plural''.</ref> | ||
|'''alùmnî | |'''alùmnî | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Line 67: | Line 66: | ||
|- | |- | ||
|'''chérub | |'''chérub | ||
|'''chérubìm'''<ref>The King James Bible uses the double plural form '''chérubims''', but this is now obsolete</ref> ''theology'', '''chérubs''' ''art'' | |'''chérubìm'''<ref>The King James Bible uses the double plural form '''chérubims''', but this is now obsolete.</ref> ''theology'', '''chérubs''' ''art'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
|'''chîld | |'''chîld | ||
| Line 82: | Line 81: | ||
|- | |- | ||
|'''dâtum, dàtum | |'''dâtum, dàtum | ||
|BrE '''dâta''', AmE '''dáta | |BrE '''dâta''', AmE also '''dáta | ||
|- | |- | ||
|'''díctum | |'''díctum | ||
| Line 93: | Line 92: | ||
|'''échoes''' (both ék-) | |'''échoes''' (both ék-) | ||
|- | |- | ||
|'''eistéddfod''' ( | |'''eistéddfod''' (*î-stédhvod) | ||
|'''eistéddfodau''' | |'''eistéddfodau''' (*î-stédhvodî) or regular | ||
|- | |- | ||
|'''élf | |'''élf | ||
| Line 175: | Line 174: | ||
|- | |- | ||
|'''mêdium | |'''mêdium | ||
|'''mêdia, mêdiums<ref>'''mêdia''' always when referring to newspapers etc., '''mêdiums''' for spiritualists</ref> | |'''mêdia, mêdiums<ref>'''mêdia''' always when referring to newspapers etc., '''mêdiums''' for spiritualists.</ref> | ||
|- | |- | ||
|'''mòuse | |'''mòuse | ||
| Line 217: | Line 216: | ||
|- | |- | ||
|'''schêma | |'''schêma | ||
|'''schemàta'''<ref>Less commonly, '''lemmàta''' can be plural of '''lémma'''</ref> (both sk-) | |'''schemàta'''<ref>Less commonly, '''lemmàta''' can be plural of '''lémma'''.</ref> (both sk-) | ||
|- | |- | ||
|'''sélf | |'''sélf | ||
Latest revision as of 23:45, 8 February 2024
The normal way to form a plural noun in English is to add the suffix -s, which changes into -es after s, z, ch and sh. Nouns with the stem ending in -ŷ after a consonant replace this ending with -íes[1] (after vowels: dónkeys, Mòndâys, formed regularly). But there are also many irregular nouns, some with English roots, others with plural forms from Latin, Greek, French, Italian, Hebrew and Arabic. (The accents, which are not part of the language, are included to show stress and pronunciation: see English spellings for a table and English phonemes for the IPA. There is also a key at the foot of this page. Words in italics suggest meaning, and an equals sign is placed between homophones.)
Nouns in -f vary between -fs and -ves. In particular, the traditional plural of dwårf was dwårfs, but Tolkien popularized dwårves.
Nouns in -o that always change to -ôes in the plural are included in the table below; others are regular, ending in -ôs, while búffalo, càrgo, dómino, hâlo, mosquìto (-skì-), mótto, nô, tornâdo, volcâno and zêro can be seen with both -ôs and -ôes.
Nouns of Latin origin in -us that always have -î in the plural are listed below, while cáctus, fôcus, fúngus, hippopótamus, óctopus and sýllabus can have both -î and -uses (though octopodes, not óctopi, is the correct Latin).
Nouns of Greek origin in -sís (-ssíss), análysis, áxis, bâsis, crîsis, diagnôsis, émphasis, hypóthesis, neurôsis, oâsis, parénthesis, synópsis, sýnthesis and thêsis have their plurals in -sês (-ssêez): análysês (*ənáləssêez) etc.
Nouns of Latin origin in -ndum, addéndum, referéndum and memorándum, change to -nda: addénda, referénda (optionally),[2] memoránda.
Apart from vŏrtex, plural vŏrtices (-tíssêez), nouns of Latin origin in -ex and -íx (âpex, appéndix, cërvix, índex and mâtrix) have plurals in both -icês and -xes (-xíz). índexes tend to be the things at the ends of books, while índices covers the more mathematical meanings.
Invariable nouns
The following have the same form in the singular and plural: ãircraft, bárracks, bîson, cód, cróssroads, dêer animal (= dêar loved, expensive), dîce (dîe as the singular of dîce is archaic), físh (although físhes can be used if more than one species of fish is involved),[3] gállows, hálibut, ínnings (cricket; in baseball the singular is ínning), héadquarters, mêans, moôse, óffspring, përch fish (otherwise përches), pîke fish (otherwise pîkes), sálmon (*sámmon), sêries, shêep, spêcies (-shíz), tròut and tûna.
Nouns with both regular and irregular forms
In the case of some nouns, there exist two plural forms—one regular ending in -s, the other irregular—where only one of the forms is correct in a given context:
anténna: anténnas, BrE only anténnaê
bròther: bròthers family, bréthren church
índéx: índéxes book, índícês mathematics
mêdium: mêdiums spiritualists, mêdia others
pénny: pénnies coins, pénce amount
përson: përsons formal, pêople everyday
referéndum: referéndums vote, referénda question
Table of irregular nouns
Prefixed nouns are not included if their plural endings are the same as that of the root noun: for example the plural of snôwmán is snôwmén.
| alùmnus[4] | alùmnî |
| BrE, AmE amoêba, AmE also amêba | BrE amoêbaê, amoêbas, AmE amoêbas |
| anténna | BrE anténnaê, both AmE and BrE anténnas |
| autómaton | autómata, autómatons |
| bacíllus | bacíllî |
| bactêrium | bactêria |
| bâsis | bâsês (*bâyssêez, cf. bâses base *bâyssíz = bâsses music) |
| bròther church | bréthren (-dh-; bròther family is regular: bròthers) |
| cālf (*cāf) | cālves (*cāvz) |
| chérub | chérubìm[5] theology, chérubs art |
| chîld | chíldren |
| cŏrpus | cŏrpora |
| critêrion | critêria (both -î-) |
| currículum | currícula, currículums |
| dâtum, dàtum | BrE dâta, AmE also dáta |
| díctum | dícta, díctums |
| díngo | díngoes |
| écho | échoes (both ék-) |
| eistéddfod (*î-stédhvod) | eistéddfodau (*î-stédhvodî) or regular |
| élf | élves |
| embàrgo | embàrgoes |
| errātum | errāta |
| fôcus | fôcuses, fôcî (*fôassî) |
| foòt | fêet |
| fŏrmula | fŏrmulaê, fŏrmulas |
| gêniê (= Jêanniê) | gênìî, gênies, gínn (all j-; cf. gêniuses, plural of gênius[6]) |
| génus | génera (both j-) |
| gladiôlus | gladiôlî |
| goôse | gêese |
| hālf (*hāf) | hālves (*hāvz, cf. háves, plural of háve) |
| hêro | hêroes |
| hoôf | hoôves[7] |
| índéx | índéxes book, índícês mathematics |
| kibbùtz | kibbùtzìm |
| knîfe | knîves (both n-) |
| làrva | BrE làrvaê, AmE làrvas |
| lêaf | lêaves (= homonym lêaves leaving) |
| librétto | libréttì |
| liêd song (*lêet) | liêder (= lêader lead) |
| lîfe | lîves (cf. líves dwells) |
| lòuse | lîce |
| lôcus | lôcî (*lôassî) |
| lôaf | lôaves |
| mán | mén |
| mánservant | ménservants |
| mêdium | mêdia, mêdiums[8] |
| mòuse | mîce |
| nébula | nébulaê, nébulas |
| nûclêus | nûclêî |
| ôvum | ôva eggs (= BrE ôver above, finished) |
| óx | óxen |
| pénny | pénce amount, pénnies coins |
| përson | pêople (pêep-) everyday, përsons formal |
| phenómenon | phenómena |
| pláteau (*plátô) | pláteaux (*plátôz; in both, the second syllable is stressed in AmE) |
| potâto | potâtoes |
| qùantum | qùanta |
| râdius | râdìî |
| scàrf | scàrves |
| schêma | schemàta[9] (both sk-) |
| sélf | sélves |
| séraph | séraphìm |
| shêaf | shêaves |
| stímulus | stímulî |
| BrE stràtum, AmE strâtum | BrE stràta, AmE strâta (= BrE strâighter) |
| sympôsium | sympôsia |
| tábleau (*táblô) | tábleaux (*táblôz) |
| témpo | témpì, témpos |
| tërminus | tërminî |
| thìêf | thìêves |
| thêsis | thêsês (-sêez) |
| BrE tomàto, AmE tomâto | BrE tomàtoes, AmE tomâtoes |
| toôth | têeth |
| torpêdo | torpêdoes |
| vërtebra | vërtebraê |
| vêto | vêtoes |
| vïrtuôso | vïrtuôsì (both -ûôss-) |
| vŏrtex | vŏrticês (-íssêez) |
| wîfe | wîves |
| wolf (= Woòlf person) | wolves (*wùlvz) |
| woman (wù-) | women (wí-) |
Notes
- ↑ This does not apply to proper nouns: Thére are thrêe Mãrys and tŵo Marìes ín the clāss shows the plurals of Mãry and Marìe respectively.
- ↑ In correct Latin usage, the -a plural can be used only when the word is used in the sense of the question to be asked, not the process of asking.
- ↑ Use of físhes.
- ↑ Less common are the feminine forms alùmna singular, alùmnae plural.
- ↑ The King James Bible uses the double plural form chérubims, but this is now obsolete.
- ↑ gênìî is used by some as the plural of gênius, but this usage is frowned on by others—which may even extend to its use as a plural of gênie. Though when gênius is used in its original, technical sense, a sort of guardian spirit in ancient Roman mythology, gênii is the correct plural. Other spellings: singular djínni/jínni/jínnee, plural djínn/jínn. Such spellings, closer to the original Arabic, are more often used when the meaning intended is closer to the original meanings in Arab folklore and Islamic theology, rather than wider folklore.
- ↑ roôfs can have a similar pronunciation, but not spelling; yoûth also is unvoiced in the singular but voiced in the plural.
- ↑ mêdia always when referring to newspapers etc., mêdiums for spiritualists.
- ↑ Less commonly, lemmàta can be plural of lémma.
- The accents show stress and pronunciation (see English spellings): A: sát, mâde, pàrk, cāst (cást/càst), åll, ãir; E: ére, êar, vèin, fërn; I: sít, mîne, skì, bïrd; O: sóng, môde, lòve, wörd, ŏr; OO: moôn, foòt; U: sún, mûse, fùll, pürr; W: neŵ, ẁant; Y: gým, mŷ, keỳ, mÿrrh.