Two Forms of Plural :
There are some Nouns which have two forms in the Plural - each form with a separate meaning of its own.
Brothers - sons of the same mother
Brethren - members of the same society
Cloths - kinds or pieces of cloth
Clothes - articles of dress
Dies - stamps for coinage
Dice - small cubes used in games
Geniuses - men of genius or talent
Genii - fabulous spirits of the air
Indexes - tables of contents
Indices - signs used in algebra
Staves - sticks or poles
Staffs - departments in the army or a business or salaried employees taken collectively
Shot - little balls discharged from a gun
Shot - an attempt to hit by shooting such as…He took a shot at him.
Shots – marksmen or photographic recordings (They were both fine shots.)
Nouns which have one meaning in the Singular and another in the Plural
Singular… Plural
Advice - counsel
Advices - information
Beef - flesh of ox
Beeves - cattle, bulls and cows
Compass (1) range or extent (2) instrument for finding directions
Compasses - an instrument for drawing circles
Good - benefit
Goods - movable property
Iron - a metal
Irons - fetters made of iron
Physic - medicine
Physics - natural science
Return - coming back
Returns - the proceeds or profit of an undertaking
Vesper - evening
Vespers - evening prayers
Sand - a kind of matter
Sands - a tract of sandy land
Force - strength or energy
Forces - armed men
Air - atmosphere
Airs - assumed demeanor
But we also speak of natural forces or the forces of nature.
Nouns which have two meanings in the Plural against one in the Singular
Singular…..Plural
Colour - colour
Colours - (1) kinds of colour (2) flag of regiment
Custom - habit
Customs - (1) habits (2) toll or tax
Letter - (1) Of alphabet (2) Epistle
Letters - (1) of alphabet (2) epistle (3) learning
Pain - suffering
Pains - (1) sufferings (2) trouble, care
Effect - result
Effects - (1) results (2) goods and chattels
Manner - mode or way
Manners - (1) modes and ways (2) behaviour
Number - as in counting
Numbers - (1) as in counting (2) metre of poetry
Part - portion
Parts - (1) portions (2) abilities
Spectacle - anything seen
Spectacles - (1) things seen (2) glasses to help the sight
Premise - statement or proposition
Premises - (1) propositions (2) houses and grounds
Quarter - a fourth part
Quarters - (1) fourth parts (2) lodgings
RELATED PAGES :
- Double Plurals
- Foreign Plurals
- Singulars and Plurals of Latin Origin
- Singulars and Plurals of Greek Origin
- Singulars and Plurals of Italian Origin
- Singulars and Plurals of French Origin
- Singulars and Plurals of Hebrew Origin
- Singular but Plural
- Singular and Plural with Same Forms
- Two Forms of Plural
- Plurals with Two Meanings
- Plural Nouns
Two Forms of Plural :
Two Forms of Plural To HOME PAGE
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