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Many persons of moderate education regard nouns that do not end with s or es as singular. Even the gifted pen of Addison once slipped so far as to betray him into using the word seraphim, in the singular.
Cherubim, Seraphim
The words cherub and seraph, are singular. Cherub, as applied to a little child, takes the English plural, cherubs. As applied to an order of angels, it takes the Hebrew plural, cherubim. The singular, seraph, has an English plural, seraphs, as well as the Hebrew plural, seraphs. The double plurals, cherubims and seraphims, although found in the King James version of the Bible, are regarded as faulty in modern writing, and should be avoided.
News
Although plural in form, the word news is singular in meaning; as, "The news from Europe this morning is quite interesting."
Acoustics
Names of sciences ending in ics, are generally regarded as singular. "Acoustics is a very considerable branch of physics." Do not say, "The acoustics of this hall are good," but "The acoustic properties of this hall are good."
Dialectics, dynamics, economics, mathematics, ethics, politics, tactics, when used as substantives, require a verb in the singular.
Analysis
Many words like analysis, crisis, ellipsis, emphasis, hypothesis, oasis, parenthesis, synopsis, form their plurals by changing the termination is into es; as, analyses, crises, etc. The word iris takes the English plural irises; Latin plural is irides. Chrysalis has only the Latin plural, chrysalides; but chrysalid, which means the same as chrysalis, takes the English plural, chrysalids.
Terminus
Terminus, radius, alumnus, and some other words ending in us, form their plurals by changing the termination us into i; as termini, radii, etc.
Many words ending in us that formerly were written with only the Latin plural, are now given an English plural also; as, focuses, foci; cactuses, cacti; sarcophaguses, sarcophagi; convolvuluses, convolvuli ; funguses, fungi; nucleuses, nuclei.
Isthmus, prospectus, rebus, take only the English plural.
Apparatus has no plural. Avoid apparatuses.
The plural of genius, as applied to a man of unusual vigor of mind, is geniuses. When applied to a good or bad spirit, the plural is genii.
Formula
Formulas, larvas, stigmas, are regular English plurals; formulae, larvae, and stigmata are the classical plurals. Nebulae and alumnae are the proper plurals, the latter being the feminine noun corresponding to the masculine plural alumni.
Datum, Phenomenon
Datum, erratum, candelabrum, and memorandum form their plurals by changing um to a; as, data, errata, etc. The last two also take the English plurals, memorandums, candelabrums.
The plural of phenomenon and criterion are phenomena, criteria, although criterions is sometimes employed.
The plural forms, data, strata, and phenomena, are so much more frequently used than their singular forms, datum, stratum, and phenomenon, that some writers have slipped into the habit of using the plurals with a singular meaning; as, "The aurora borealis is a very strange phenomena." "Our data is insufficient to establish a theory." "The strata is broken and irregular."
Mussulmans
While most words ending in man become plural by changing this termination to men, as gentlemen, noblemen, clergymen, statesmen, the following simply add s: dragomans, Mussulmans, Ottomnans, talismans "A dozen dragomans offered their services as guides and interpreters." "A band of Mussulmans cut off our retreat." "Those fierce Ottomans proved to be very revengeful." "He purchased five finely upholstered ottomans for his drawing-room."
Heroes, Cantos
Most nouns ending in o add es to form the plural; as, heroes, negroes, potatoes, stuccoes, manifestoes, mosquitoes. Words ending in io or yo add s; as, folios, nuncios, olios, ratios, embryos.
The following words, being less frequently used, often puzzle us to know whether to add s or es to form the plural: armadillos, cantos, cuckoos, halos, juntos, octavos, provisos, salvos, solos, twos, tyros, virtuosos.
Alms, Odds, Riches
Many nouns that end in s have a plural appearance, and we are often perplexed to know whether to use this or these, and whether to employ a singular or a plural verb when the noun is used as a substantive.
Amends is singular. Assets, dregs, eaves, bees, pincers, riches, scissors, sheers, tongs, vitals, are plural. When we say a pair of pincers, or scissors, or shears, or tongs, the verb should be singular. Tidings, in Shakespeare's time, was used indiscriminately with a singular or plural verb, but is now generally regarded as plural.
Alms and headquarters are usually made plural, but are occasionally found with a singular verb. Pains is usually singular. Means, odds, and species are singular or plural, according to the meaning.
"By this means he accomplished his purpose." "What other means is left to us?" "Your means are very slender, and your waste is great."
Proper Names
These are usually pluralized by adding s; as, the Stuarts, the Caesars, the Beechers, the Brownings.
Titles with Proper Names
Shall we say the Miss Browns, the Misses Brown, or the Misses Browns? Great diversity of opinion prevails. Gould Brown says: "The name and not the title is varied to form the plural; as, the Miss Howards, the two Mr. Clarks."
Alexander Bain, LL. D., says: "We may say the Misses Brown, or the Miss Browns, or even the Misses Browns."
The chief objection to the last two forms is found when the proper name ends with s, as when we say, the Miss Brookses, the Miss Joneses, the Miss Pottses, the
Miss Blisses. The form the Misses Brooks is objected to by some on the ground that it sounds affected. On the whole the rule given by Gould Brown is the best, and is quite generally observed.
Knight Templar
Both words are made plural, Knights Templars, a very unusual way of forming the plural.
Plural Compounds
The plural sign of a compound word is affixed to the principal part of the word, to the part that conveys the predominant idea; as, fathers-in-law, man-servants, outpourings, ingatherings. In such words as handfuls, cupfuls, mouthfuls, the plural ending is added to the subordinate part because the ideas are so closely associated as to blend into one.
Beaus, Beaux
Some words ending in eau have only the English plurals, as bureaus, portmanteaus; others take both the English and the French plurals, as beaus, beaux; flambeaus, flambeaux; plateaus, plateaux; and still others take only the foreign plural; as, bateaux, chateaux, tableaux.
Pair, Couple, Brace
After numerals, the singular form of such words as these is generally employed; as, five pair of gloves, eight couple of dancers, three brace of pigeons, five dozen of eggs, four score years, twenty sail of ships, fifty head of cattle, six hundred of these men, two thousand of these cattle, etc.
After such indefinite adjectives as few, many, several, some of the above words take the plural form; as, several hundreds, many thousands.
Index, Appendix
Indexes of books; indices, if applied to mathematical signs in algebra. Appendixes or appendices.
Fish, Fly
The plural of fish is fishes when considered individually, and fish when considered collectively. "My three pet fishes feed out of my hand." "Six barrels of fish were landed from the schooner."
Most words ending in y change this termination into ies, as duties, cities, etc. The plural of fly, the insect, is formed in the usual manner, but fly, a light carriage, adds s; as, "Six flys carried the guests to their homes."
Animalcule
The plural of this word is animalcules. There is no plural animalculae. The plural of the Latin animalculum is animalcula.
Bandit
This word has two plural forms, bandits and banditti.
Brother
Plural brothers, when referring to members of the same family; brethren, when applied to members of the same church or society.
Die
Plural dies, when the stamp with which seals are impressed is meant; dice, the cubes used in playing backgammon.
Herring
The plural is herrings, but shad, trout, bass, pike, pickerel, grayling, have no plural form. "I caught three bass and seven fine pickerel this morning."
Grouse
The names of game birds, as grouse, quail, snipe, woodcock, usually take no plural form.
Pea
Considered individually the plural is peas; when referring to the crop the proper form is pease.
Penny
"He gave me twelve bright new pennies," referring to the individual coins. "I paid him twelve pence," meaning a shilling.
Wharf
Plural, generally wharves in America; wharfs in England.
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