An English Grammar Part 7

NUMBER.

[Sidenote: _Definition._]

35. In nouns, number means the mode of indicating whether we are speaking of one thing or of more than one.

36. Our language has two numbers,--_singular_ and _plural_. The singular number denotes that one thing is spoken of; the plural, more than one.

37. There are three ways of changing the singular form to the plural:--

(1) By adding _-en_.

(2) By changing the root vowel.

(3) By adding _-s_ (or _-es_).

The first two methods prevailed, together with the third, in Old English, but in modern English _-s_ or _-es_ has come to be the "standard" ending; that is, whenever we adopt a new word, we make its plural by adding _-s_ or _-es._

I. Plurals formed by the Suffix _-en_.

[Sidenote: _The_ -en _inflection._]

38. This inflection remains only in the word oxen, though it was quite common in Old and Middle English; for instance, _eyen_ (eyes), _treen_ (trees), _shoon_ (shoes), which last is still used in Lowland Scotch. _Hosen_ is found in the King James version of the Bible, and _housen_ is still common in the provincial speech in England.

39. But other words were inflected afterwards, in imitation of the old words in _-en_ by making a double plural.

[Sidenote: -En _inflection imitated by other words._]

Brethren has pa.s.sed through three stages. The old plural was _brothru_, then _brothre_ or _brethre_, finally _brethren_. The weakening of inflections led to this addition.

Children has pa.s.sed through the same history, though the intermediate form _childer_ lasted till the seventeenth century in literary English, and is still found in dialects; as,--

"G.o.d bless me! so then, after all, you'll have a chance to see your _childer_ get up like, and get settled."--QUOTED BY DE QUINCEY.

Kine is another double plural, but has now no singular.

In spite of wandering _kine_ and other adverse circ.u.mstance.--Th.o.r.eAU.

II. Plurals formed by Vowel Change.

40. Examples of this inflection are,--

man--men foot--feet goose--geese louse--lice mouse--mice tooth--teeth

Some other words--as _book_, _turf_, _wight_, _borough_--formerly had the same inflection, but they now add the ending _-s_.

41. Akin to this cla.s.s are some words, originally neuter, that have the singular and plural alike; such as _deer_, _sheep_, _swine_, etc.

Other words following the same usage are, _pair_, _brace_, _dozen_, after numerals (if not after numerals, or if preceded by the prepositions _in_, _by_, etc, they add _-s_): also _trout_, _salmon_; _head_, _sail_; _cannon_; _heathen_, _folk_, _people_.

The words _horse_ and _foot_, when they mean soldiery, retain the same form for plural meaning; as,--

The _foot_ are fourscore thousand, The _horse_ are thousands ten.

--MACAULAY.

Lee marched over the mountain wall,-- Over the mountains winding down, _Horse_ and _foot_, into Frederick town.

--WHITTIER.

III. Plurals formed by Adding -s or -es.

42. Instead of _-s,_ the ending _-es_ is added--

(1) If a word ends in a letter which cannot add _-s_ and be p.r.o.nounced. Such are _box, cross, ditch, gla.s.s, lens, quartz_, etc.

[Sidenote: _-Es added in certain cases_.]

If the word ends in a _sound_ which cannot add _-s_, a new syllable is made; as, _niche--niches, race--races, house--houses, prize--prizes, chaise--chaises_, etc.

_-Es_ is also added to a few words ending in -o, though this sound combines readily with _-s_, and does not make an extra syllable: _cargo--cargoes, negro--negroes, hero--heroes, volcano--volcanoes_, etc.

Usage differs somewhat in other words of this cla.s.s, some adding _-s_, and some _-es_.

(2) If a word ends in _-y_ preceded by a consonant (the _y_ being then changed to _i_); e.g., _fancies, allies, daisies, fairies_.

[Sidenote: _Words in -ies._]

Formerly, however, these words ended in _-ie_, and the real ending is therefore _-s_. Notice these from Chaucer (fourteenth century):--

[Sidenote: _Their old form._]

The _lilie_ on hir stalke grene.

Of _maladie_ the which he hadde endured.

And these from Spenser (sixteenth century):--

Be well aware, quoth then that _ladie_ milde.

At last fair Hesperus in highest _skie_ Had spent his lampe.