THE NOUN.

IRREGULAR FORMS
A. Sg. Pl.
Half-halves
Loaf-loaves
Knife-knives
Life-lives roof-roofs
Wife-wives handkerchief-handkerchiefs
Leaf-leaves wharf-wharfs
Sheaf-sheaves -F>-ES, but: proof-proofs
Thief-thieves cliff-cliffs
Elf-elves
Self-selves
Shelf-shelves
Wolf-wolves
B. Penny-pence , die-dice, mouse-mice, louse-lice, dormouse-dormice, titmouse-
titmice, child-children-man-men, woman-women, goose-geese, tooth-teeth, foot-
feet.
C. Nouns of foreign origin(Latin and Greek)
Magus-magi
Radius-radii

Axis-axes
Crisis-crises
Oasis-oases

Criterion-criteria
Phenomenon-phenomena

Catus-cacti-cactuses
Genius-genii-geniuses
Terminus-termini-terminuses

Formula-formulae
Lacuna-lacunae

Apendix- apendices

Bureau-bureaux
 D. Nouns with only one form.
PLURAL
 Instruments and tools: compasses, binoculars, glasses/spectacles/scissors,
tongs, tweezers, etc + ARE
 Pieces of clothing: trousers, pants, riding breeches, overalls, braces, + ARE

 Games, ilnesses, subject matters: dominoes, billiards, cards, skittles, measles,

mumps, tonsilitis, Physics, Mathematics, Phonetics, etc + IS

SINGULAR

 Unique nouns: the Earth, the sun, the moon, the north, the south, the east, the west,
nature, paradise, hell, etc + IS
 Names of matters: sugar, flour, steel, maize, oil, chicken, water, etc. + IS
 Abstract nouns: frienship, love, hate, realism, comunism, etc.+ IS
 Individual nouns of multitude: fisf-fish, trout-trout, salmon-salmon, deer-deer, sheep-
sheep, etc+IS/ARE
 And: information, advice, knowledge, luggage, furniture +IS
E. Differences in meaning determined by change of number
Advice=sfaturi, advices=stiri, informatii
Arm=brat, arms=brate, armata
Ash=scrum, ashes=cenusa
Clotf=stofa, clothes=haine
Cpour=culoare, colours=culori, steag
Compass=busola, compasses=compas
Facility=usurinta, facilitate, facilities=coditii favorabile, echipament, confort
Custom =obicei, customs=vama
Glass=pahar, glasses=pahare/ochelari
Moral=morala, morals=moravuri, moralitate
Number=numar, numbers=numere, versuri
F. Collective nouns
Family, government, team, crew, mankind, public, audience, people, folk, cattle,
vermin, poultry, etc. + IS/A RE