Its this english language thing, who ever thought of it needs shooting! Its like a pair of pants, why a pair, theres just one pant, you dont say oh hello can i have a pair of bra please? Weird!
2006-09-13 13:00:45 · 13 answers · asked by ADAM M 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Trivia
the same reason 2 fish aren't fishes and 2 moose aren't mooses, and two deer aren't deers. i do agree that the english language is weird with plural, but sometimes words like fishes just don't roll off the tongue as easy as fish. and the pants thing, u really need to know that one pant is one of the pants legs. and like when u say a pair of underwear it's really one thing. weird, huh?
2006-09-13 13:09:39 · answer #1 · answered by definitivamente06 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nouns with identical singular and plural
Some nouns spell their singular and plural exactly alike; these are regarded by some linguists as regular plurals. Many of these are the names of animals:
deer
fish (and many individual fish names: cod, mackerel, trout, etc.)
moose
sheep
Fish does have a regular plural form, but it differs in meaning from the unmarked plural; fishes refers to several species or other taxonomic types, while fish (plural) is used to describe multiple individual animals: one would say "the order of fishes," but "five fish in an aquarium."
Other nouns that have identical singular and plural forms include:
aircraft
blues1
cannon
2006-09-13 14:04:55 · answer #2 · answered by Chef Susy--Cookin it up! 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It can't just be an english language thing because english is the only language that uses 's' for plurals.
It's a fact of life, get over it or speak a different language!!!
2006-09-13 13:13:25 · answer #3 · answered by Tamarinda Alexia 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Simply to confuse ESL students (English as a Second Language)
2006-09-13 14:17:33 · answer #4 · answered by blacksheepmatt 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The word sheep has been around longer than the regular plural ending "s".
2006-09-13 13:11:31 · answer #5 · answered by Goddess of Grammar 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Very strange indeed. And I thought a bovine was a cow.
Anyway, I guess that's why it is said that english is the hardest language to learn!
2006-09-13 13:08:35 · answer #6 · answered by Nikki 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You get a 2fer here. Singular and plural for the price of one word! Bonus! Ding Ding Ding!
2006-09-13 14:26:41 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Here's another one for you
If Mr Foot & Mrs Foot and the children were being introduced to someone, as a collective family name they would be referred to as ????
Foots (singular)
or
Feet (plural)
Crazy eh!!!
2006-09-13 13:08:53 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the welsh couldn't get there mind around it
2006-09-13 17:39:18 · answer #9 · answered by togaparty4u 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's just the way it is...just like one deer but for more than one, it's still deer.
2006-09-13 13:09:27 · answer #10 · answered by peg 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋