Nouns that exist only in the plural

[Vanadium 50]

The important ones in that list are "news" and "lens".

Why are they more important than, say, "mess"?

 

[gmax137]

back to physics and physic
A physics is a strong laxative, "It went through him like a physic."

 

[Fervent Freyja]

Just realized on my lunch break in front of me. Sometimes genus of an animal, like triceratops. There is no triceratop.

“That triceratops died in a lake.”
”Those triceratops died in a lake.”

Tagging a noun that only has plural form with a pronoun like that or those can help a reader determine (or qualify) whether it’s plural or singular.

Sure there’s more.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Just realized on my lunch break in front of me.

How long have you been having fossils for lunch?

 

[symbolipoint]

Why are they more important than, say, "mess"?

The ending "s" type sound was not meant to indicate plural for some words. If you really wanted to know, you need to ask a linguist. The use of the double-s on some words in English had some special spelling history. The answer to the question MUST come from a linguist or someone with that kind of study.

 

[symbolipoint]

After reading post #38, now it is clearer than some words ending in the s or having the s type sound was not mean as plural.

But about triceratops, is that both plural AND singular, or do you form the plural by saying, triceratopses?

 

[Vanadium 50]

Why are they more important than, say, "mess"?

The use of the double-s on some words in English

So that's the distinction you are drawing?

"Lens" comes from the Latin pretty much unchanged. "News" was originally plural ("new things") but evolved into the form we have today. "Class" began as Latin ("classis") but with more modification than "lens". "Lass" is Middle English coming from Old Norse languages.

I don't see a good reason to separate "lens" and "news" from the others.

 

[symbolipoint]

So that's the distinction you are drawing?

"Lens" comes from the Latin pretty much unchanged. "News" was originally plural ("new things") but evolved into the form we have today. "Class" began as Latin ("classis") but with more modification than "lens". "Lass" is Middle English coming from Old Norse languages.

I don't see a good reason to separate "lens" and "news" from the others.

I was not sure. I said, a linguist should say.

 

[BillTre]

How long have you been having fossils for lunch?

Nice and crunchy!

 

[Vanadium 50]

How long have you been having fossils for lunch?

Nice and crunchy!

Plenty of minerals!

 

[Fervent Freyja]

How long have you been having fossils for lunch?

Hahah. Have been switching out my full time job for about a month now. The library is one of the few places I can get real peace and quiet!

 

[Vanadium 50]

But about triceratops, is that both plural AND singular, or do you form the plural by saying, triceratopses?

My dictionaries say "triceratopses". But it's not a word that needs to be pluralized often.

 

[Klystron]

In what sense? As gerunds?

Sure, as gerunds; but if one classifies predicate adjectives with nouns:

Her earning potential is excellent.
He lost his last belonging.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Her earning potential is excellent.

I would call this a participle and not a singular noun.

He lost his last belonging.

I thought you were going to say "Belonging is a feeling important to today's teenagers", which is why I brought up gerunds. I think I agree that this is a valid, if unusual, use of the singular "belonging", although "He lost all his belongings" would be a more common way to express it.

 

[Fervent Freyja]

My dictionaries say "triceratopses". But it's not a word that needs to be pluralized often.

Well, I’m not going to use triceratopses just as I’m not going to use the word trousers in a conversation. That’s just weird.

I’m going to keep using words like “gonna” because it peeves some people...

 

[OCR]

.

But how about "gallows"?

Stretching the functional effective properties it's considered a dangling

participle. . . . Well that was just. . . sic ! .

.

 

[Tom.G]

I don't know what that means. Certainly one says "physics is" and not "physics are".

What are the physics of that strange occurence?

 

[Vanadium 50]

I would not say that. I would use "is".

 

[Astronuc]

Tools: pliers, scissors, forceps, glasses and binoculars.

Shears. The scissors reminded me of shears.

In addition to physics: politics, mathematics, economics, ethics, athletics - fields of study or practice.

aesthetics, hermeneutics which are not the plural of the singular form aesthetic, hermeneutic, which are the adjectival forms.

 

[Vanadium 50]

In addition to physics: politics, mathematics, economics, ethics, athletics - fields of study or practice.

But are these plurals or do they merely end in s? "Economics is known as the dismal science". Has an "is" and has a singular complement (if you went to public school or Catholic school after 1970) or predicate nominative (if you went to Catholic school before 1970).

 

[epenguin]

Physics!

There is this famous place in London: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelsea_Physic_Garden

 

[phinds]

... I’m not going to use the word trousers in a conversation. That’s just weird.

So, how ARE you going to identify the garment that with 2 legs? Pants? Why would THAT not be weird?

 

[Fervent Freyja]

So, how ARE you going to identify the garment that with 2 legs? Pants? Why would THAT not be weird?

Probably because I’ve only heard old people say that word!

 

[phinds]

Probably because I’ve only heard old people say that word!

You've only heard old people say "pants" ?

 

[Fervent Freyja]

You've only heard old people say "pants" ?

No, the other word for it.

 

[phinds]

No, the other word for it.

What, leggings? Now that IS old.

 

[Fervent Freyja]

What, leggings? Now that IS old.

I agree.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Here's one that doesn't match any pattern or near-pattern mentioned thus far: Suds.

 

[symbolipoint]

Here's one that doesn't match any pattern or near-pattern mentioned thus far: Suds.

Suds is always plural. I have never experienced suds in any numeration other than plural. Something of this which can be singular would be "bubble". You may have two bubbles next to each other but this is usually not yet suds - still only "bubbles".

 

[brainpushups]

I wrote the word "trousers" in another thread, and realized that there does not exist a singular as a noun.

There's a Fela Kuti song called Equalisation of Trouser and Pant which was the only reason I questioned this statement. Indeed, according to Merriam-Webster 'trouser' is a noun though it is 'usually used in the plural'

 

[phinds]

Suds is always plural. I have never experienced suds in any numeration other than plural. Something of this which can be singular would be "bubble". You may have two bubbles next to each other but this is usually not yet suds - still only "bubbles".

So, just how many bubbles does it take before it becomes suds

 

[Vanadium 50]

Suds is always plural.

And lather?

 

[BillTre]

Suds is always plural. I have never experienced suds in any numeration other than plural. Something of this which can be singular would be "bubble". You may have two bubbles next to each other but this is usually not yet suds - still only "bubbles".

I think that's like sand, which is written as a singular (no "s"), it implies a bunch of things. The singular would be a grain of sand. The grain indicating the next layer down in organization, from the group thing (made of many) to the singular of those items The grain of sand or the bubble (from the suds).
I think the "s" on the end of suds, only indicates a awareness of its being composed of a bunch of very similar items.

 

[phinds]

I think that's like sand, which is written as a singular (no "s"), it implies a bunch of things. The singular would be a grain of sand. The grain indicating the next layer down in organization, from the group thing (made of many) to the singular of those items The grain of sand or the bubble (from the suds).
I think the "s" on the end of suds, only indicates a awareness of its being composed of a bunch of very similar items.

Sands is used as a plural in the construct "the sands of time", referring to the upper sand and the lower sand in an hourglass.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Sands is also plural as in "the sands of Africa", or even "the sands of the Sahara". Additionally, it can mean multiple types of sand: one can compare the composition of sands: say dune sand and volcanic sands.

(And the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas)