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Foreign and Irregular Plural Forms

Foreign Plural Forms:

    Some nouns of Greek and Latin origin retained their original plural forms.

e.g

 Singular                      Plural

Analysis                      analyses

Basis                           bases   

Datum                         data

Curriculum                 curricula

Memorandum             memoranda

Phenomenon              phenomena

 Formula                      formulae

Locus                          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                 Plural

Man                       men

Woman                  women

Louse                     lice

Tooth                     teeth

Foot                       feet

Goose                    geese

Child                      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                 plural

Maidservant           maidservants

Mother-in-law        mothers-in-law

Armchair               armchairs

Hold-up                 hold-ups

Suitcase                suitcases  

    Sometimes both components are pluralized, especially "man or woman" is the first element of the compound.

Singular                          plural

Manservant                    menservants

Woman-journalist         woman-journalists

Lord-justice                   lord-justices