Difference between revisions of "Plurale tantum"
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Revision as of 11:13, 9 September 2007
A plurale tantum is a noun that only occurs in the plural.
Term properties
The plural of plurale tantum is pluralia tantum (see section "Origin").
Examples
Examples of English pluralia tantum are trousers, scissors, scales.
Origin
Tantum is from Latin and means 'only', and plurale is the Latin form of plural. So plurale tantum is originally a Latin phrase meaning 'plural only'. The Latin plural of plurale is pluralia.
See also
Reference
- Vraciu, Ariton. 1976. Considérations sur l'emploi des noms pluralia tantum dans les langues baltiques, slaves et finno-ougriennes. Acta Baltico-Slavica 9: 27-37. (Wrocław)
