The category of Number

THE NOUN

The NOUN is a word expressing substance in the widest sense: (individuals: a student; objects: a pencil, a synchrophasotron; qualities: stupidity, laziness; processes: conversation, arrival; abstract notions: time, love).

THE CATEGORY OF NUMBER

General Rules of Formation of the Plural

a) -s [s] - after voiceless consonants. (e.g. cats)

[z] - after voiced consonants and vowels (e.g. dogs, bees)

b) -es [iz] - after sibilants: -s, -z, -x, -sh, -ch. (e.g. boxes)

Peculiarities

1. After the final letter - o:

-s a) in proper names (e.g. Romeo - Romeos, Carlo - Carlos)

b) if -o is preceded by a vowel (e.g. kangaroos, radios, zoos)

c) in compounds with no noun stem (e.g. lean-tos, hair-dos)

d) in abbreviations (e.g. kilos, photos, typos)

e) in most borrowed words (e.g. pianos, tangos, solos)

-es in other words (e.g. tomatoes, potatoes, echoes, Negroes, heroes)

-s and -es in several words (e.g. archipelago(e)s, banjo(e)s, buffalo(e)s, cargo(e)s, commando(e)s, flamingo(e)s, halo(e)s, motto(e)s, tornado(e)s, volcano(e)s, mosquito(e)s, virago(e)s, portico(e)s, manifesto(e)s

2. After the final letter - y:

-s a) in proper names (e.g. Tony - Tonys, Kennedy - Kennedys,

Germany - Germanys)

b) if -y is preceded by a vowel (e.g. days, monkeys)

c) in compounds with no noun stem (e.g. stand-bys)

-ies in other words (e.g. duties, spies, skies)

(Note: After the suffix -quy -y is changed into -ie-, though preceded by a vowel (e.g. soliloquy - soliloquies, colloquy - colloquies)

3. The final cluster th [q]:

a) [Dz] after long vowels and diphthongs (e.g. mouths, paths, booths)

b) [qs] after consonants and short vowels (e.g. lengths, births, cloths)

c) [Dz] and [qs] in several words (e.g. baths, oaths, truths, wreaths, youths)

4. After final - f, - fe:

a) -ves (lives, wives, knives, calves, halves, elves, shelves, selves, leaves, sheaves, thieves, loaves, wolves)

b) -fs or -ves (handkerchiefs (-ves), scarfs (-ves), dwarfs (the form " dwarves" is only used in Tolkien's books), hoofs (-ves), wharfs (-ves), beefs (-ves) (depending on the meaning))

c) -fs all other words (e.g. proofs, chiefs, safes, cliffs, gulfs, reefs, griefs, beliefs, roofs, muffs, still lifes)

Irregular Plurals

1. -en (e.g. oxen, children, brother - brethren)

2. Root-vowel interchange (mutation)

Note: Gooses (=irons, or silly people), mouses (=computer devices), louses (=worthless people)

Abbreviations

e.g. MP (Member of Parliament) - MPs ['em'pi: z]

MD (Doctor of Medicine) - MDs ['em'di: z]

Co. (company) - Co.s [kouz]

Mr (Mister) - Messrs ['mesə z]

Mrs - Mmes

Note: In the phrase like " Miss Brown" two different forms are used for the plural. We may either say " the Miss Browns" or " the Misses Brown", the latter being generally considered more correct.

Foreign Plurals

Latin

a) -us [ə s] - -i [ai]

e.g. nucleus - nuclei

stimulus - stimuli

radius - radii

b) -us [ə s] - -ora [ə rə ], -era [ə rə ]

e.g. genus - genera

corpus - corpora

c) -a [ə ] - -ae [-i: ]

e.g. antenna - antennae

formula - formulae

amoeba - amoebae

d) -um [ə m] - -a [ə ]

e.g. datum - data

stratum - strata

e) -ex, -ix [-iks] - -ices [-isi: z]

e.g. index – indices

appendix – appendices

Note: Most words of the Latin origin may have two plural forms: Latin and English, as in formula – formulae, formulas.

Greek

a) -is [is] - -es [i: z]

e.g. basis ['beisis] – bases ['beisi: z]

ellipsis – ellipses

crisis – crises

axis – axes

b) -on [ə n] - -a [ə ]

e.g. criterion – criteria

phenomenon – phenomena

c) -a [ə ] - -ata [ə tə ]

e.g. dogma – dogmata

stigma – stigmata

French

a) -eau, -eu [ou] - -eaux [ouz]

-eaus [ouz]

e.g. tableau – tableaux, tableaus

bureau – bureaux, bureaus

adieu—adieux, adieus

b) -s [-] - -s [z]

e.g. corps [ko: ] – corps [ko: z]

pas [pa: ] – pas [pa: z]

chamois ['∫ æ mwa: ] -- chamois ['∫ æ mwa: z]

chassis ['∫ a: si] – chassis ['va: siz]

pré cis ['preisi: ]/[prei'si: ] – pré cis ['preisi: z]/[prei'si: z]

c) monsieur [mə 'sjə: ] – messieurs [mə 'sjə: z]

madam ['mæ də m] – mesdames [mei'da: m]

mademoiselle [mæ də m(w) ə 'zel] – mademoiselle [meidmwa: 'zel]