Definition of Plural Form

index- indices matrix- matrices vertex-vertices c Nouns in –is with plural –es axis-axes crisis-crises testis-testes d Nouns in –on with plural –a criterion-criteria phenomenon- phenomena automaton-automata e Nouns in –um with plural – a agendum-agenda datum, data memorandum-memoranda f Nouns in –us with plural –i or –era or –ora alumnus- alumni radius-radi genus-genera g Nouns in – us with plural – a Genus- genera Corpus-corpora h Nouns in –eau with plural –eaux bureau-bureaux plateau-plateaux i Nouns in –o wit plural –i Tempo-tempi Libretto-libretti Virtuoso-virtuosi 6 Irregular plurals from other languages a Some nouns of French origin add –x: Beau beaux Bureau bureaus or bureau Chateau chateaux b Nouns of Slavic origin add –a or-i according to native rules, or just –s : Kniazhestvo kniazhestvakniazhestvos Kobzar kobzarikobzars Oblast oblasti oblasts c Nouns of Hebrew origin add –im or –ot generally mf according to native rules, or just-s : Cherub cherubimcherubs Matzoh matzotmatzos Seraph seraphimseraphs d Many nouns of Japanese origin have no plural form and do not change: Benshi benshi Otaku otaku Samurai samurai e In New Zealand English, nouns of Maori origin can either take an –s or have no separate plural form. Words more connected to Maori culture and used in that context tend to retain the same form, while names of flora and fauna may or may not take an-s , depending on context. Omission is regarded by many as more correct: Kiwi kiwikiwis Kowhai kowhaikowhais Maori maori occasionally Maoris Marae marae Tui tuistui Waka waka f In Canada and Alaska, some words borrowed from Inuktitut retain traditional plurals see also plurals of names of people below: Inuk inuit Inukshuk inukshuit g Nouns from languages that have donated few words to English, and that are spoken by relatively few English speakers, generally form plurals as if they were native English words : Canoe canoes Igloo igloos Kangaroo kangaroos Kayak kayaks Kindergarten kindergartens Pizza pizzas Sauna saunas