Learn English Language: Lesson 36 - 40

Lesson 36

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

Lesson 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.

Lesson 38: Plurals formed by the Suffix –en

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.

Lesson 39: -En inflection imitated by other words

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

Brethren has passed through three stages. The old plural was brothru, then brothre or brethre, finally brethren. The weakening of inflections led to this addition.

Children has passed through the same history, though the intermediate form childer lasted till the seventeenth century in literary English, and is still found in dialects; as,

• "God bless me! so then, after all, you'll have a chance to see your childer get up like, and get settled."

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

• In spite of wandering kine and other adverse circumstance.

Lesson 40: Plurals formed by Vowel Change

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.

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