# singular-plural mismatches



## elroy

Here are some words in English, Palestinian Arabic, German, and Hebrew that differ across these languages in terms of whether they're singular and plural.  In the table below, red indicates singular and blue indicates plural.
​


*English*​*Palestinian Arabic*​*German*​*Hebrew*​scissors​مقصّ​Schere​מספריים​pants/trousers​بنطلون​Hose, Hosen​מכנסיים​pliers​زرادية​Zange​מלקחת​eyeglasses​نظارات، نظارة*​Brille​משקפיים​bicycle​بسكليت​Fahrrad​אופניים​sky​سما​Himmel​שמיים​hair (mass)​شعر​Haare, Haar**​שיער​life​حياة​Leben​חיים​face​وجه​Gesicht​פנים​fruit (category)​فواكه​Obst​פירות​vegetables (category)​خضرة​Gemüse, Gemüse​ירקות​water​ميّ​Wasser​מיים​


(German column updated following input from @Frank78.)

*The singular and plural forms are both common.  I personally use the plural.
**In my experience, the plural form is much more common.

I notice that the Palestinian Arabic and German items are overwhelmingly singular, the Hebrew ones are overwhelmingly plural, and English is about 50/50.

What about other languages?  Does any language pattern exactly like one of the above for these particular items?  Can you add to the list other words with a singular-plural mismatch across at least two languages?


----------



## סייבר־שד

Spanish completely matches English in that regard. That being said, the forms _aguas _and _cabellos _do exist, but their usage is more specific; _pantalón _is also widely employed here in Mexico, but not any more than its plural form, in my experience.

Hebrew has another interesting plurale tantum: _רחמים _[ʁaxaˈmim] ('compassion').


----------



## elroy

סייבר־שד said:


> Spanish completely matches English in that regard.


Are you sure?  What about "frutas"?  I think that's a possible equivalent of "fruit (category)" at least in some cases.

_Fruit is an important source of vitamins.
La fruta es / Las frutas son una fuente importante de vitaminas._

Both work, don't they?



סייבר־שד said:


> That being said, the forms _aguas _and _cabellos _do exist, but their usage is more specific


Sorry for not being clear.  The English column should be taken as a basis for translation.  "waters" and "hairs" work in English too, but I wasn't interested in those because those are plural in all four languages. 



סייבר־שד said:


> _רחמים _[ʁaxaˈmim] ('compassion').


I didn't know that one!  Interesting indeed! 

I just thought of another one: "money" is plural in Palestinian Arabic and Italian (مصاري and "soldi").


----------



## atcheque

elroy said:


> I just thought of another one: "money" is plural in Palestinian Arabic and Italian (مصاري and "soldi").


Czech : peníze, fpl
French : sous, mpl (cognate with the Italian_ soldi_)


----------



## סייבר־שד

I can't believe I missed that one.  Yeah, you're right, _fruta _or _frutas_, both would work.

Catalan and Russian also have money in plural: _diners_ and _деньги._


----------



## apmoy70

Greek:

scissors: *«ψαλίδι»* [p͡s̠aˈliði] (neut. *sinɡ.*) < Βyz.Gr. neuter diminutive *«ψαλίδι(ο)ν» psalídi(o)n* of the Classical 3rd declension feminine noun *«ψαλίς/-λίδος» psălís* (nom. sing.)/*psălídŏs* (gen. sing.) --> _scissors, shears_.
pants/trousers: *«**παντελόνι»* [pande̞ˈlo̞ni] (neut. *sing.*) < It. pantalone. The name comes from the comedic character of Pantalone in Commedia dell'arte who wore campy or kitsch trousers.
pliers: *«**πένσα»* [ˈpe̞ns̠a] (fem. *sinɡ.*) < Fr. pince.
eyeglasses: *«**γυαλιά»* [ʝaˈʎa] (neut. *pl.*), the synizesis of the Byz. Gr. noun in plural *«γυαλία» ɡyalía* < Byz. Gr. neuter diminutive *«γυαλίν» ɡyalín* --> _ɡlass_ < Classical masculine or feminine noun *«ὕαλος» húălŏs* --> _transparent stone, alabaster, crystal, amber, ɡlass_ (a Pre-Greek substrate word with probably a palatal lʲ as demonstrated by the variant «ὕελλος» húĕllŏs).
bicycle: *«**ποδήλατο»* [po̞ˈðilat̠o̞] (neut. *sinɡ.*) a MoGr construction (1845), a compound: oblique *«ποδο-»* [po̞ðo̞] as first member in compounds < Classical 3rd declension masc. noun *«πούς» poús* (nom. sing.), *«ποδός» pŏdós* (gen. sing.) + verb *«ἐλαύνω»* [e̠ˈlavno̞] --> _to drive, set in motion_ < Classical v. *«ἐλαύνω» ĕlaúnō*. «Ποδήλατο» is the object driven or set in motion by the use of feet.
sky: *«**ουρανός»* [uɾaˈno̞s̠] (masc. *sing.*) < Classical masc. *«οὐρανός» ourănós* --> _the vaulted sky_ (< archaic *ϝoρσανός *wŏrsănós from PIE *h₁uors-o- _to rain_ cf Skt. वर्षति (varṣati), _to rain_).
hair (mass): *«**μαλλιά»* [maˈʎa] (neut. *pl.*) with synizesis from the Byz. Gr. *«μαλλία» mallía* (neut. nom. pl.) < Classical masc. nom. sing. *«μαλλός» măllós* --> _flock of wool_ (of unknown etymology).
life: *«**ζωή»* [z̠o̞ˈi] (fem. *sinɡ.*) < Classical fem. noun *«ζωή» zōḗ*.
face: *«**πρόσωπο»* [ˈpro̞s̠o̞po̞] (neut. *sinɡ.*) < Classical neut. noun *«πρόσωπον» prósōpŏn* --> _countenance, (Homer) face, (Attic) the mask of a character worn by the actor, part in an ancient Greek drama, (Koine) person_ a compound: preposition & prefix *«πρός» prós* + *«ὤψ» ṓps* (with disputed gender, masc. or fem.) --> _eye, face, countenace_ (PIE *h₃kʷ- _to see_ cf Skt. ईक्षते (īks̩ate), _to observe_).
fruit (category): *«**φρούτα»* [ˈfrut̠a] (neut. *pl.*) < It. frutta. Even the native Greek name is in plural: *«καρποί»* [karˈpi] (masc. *pl.*) < Classical masc. noun *«καρπός/καρποί» kărpós* (nom. sinɡ.)/*kărpoí* (nom. pl.) --> _fruit, fruits of the earth, corn, yields_ (possibly from PIE *kerp- _to take away, pluck (off)_ cf Hitt. karp- _to take away_, Lat. carpēre, Proto-Germanic *harbistaz, Proto-Slavic *čerpti). In the vernacular the Italian word has prevailed.
vegetables (category): *«**λαχανικά»* [laxaniˈka] (neut. *pl.*) < Classical neuter noun *«λάχανα» lắkʰănă* (nom. pl.) --> _ɡreen herbs, veɡetables_; in MoGr «λάχανο/λάχανα» [ˈlaxano̞] (neut. nom. sinɡ.)/[ˈlaxana] (neut. nom. pl.) is the _cabbaɡe(s)_, a deverbative from the Classical v. *«λαχαίνω» lăkʰaínō* --> _to diɡ_ (of unknown etymoloɡy possibly a Pre-Greek substrate word).
water: *«**νερό»* [ne̞ˈɾo̞] (neut. *sinɡ.*) which is the metonym for _fresh water_ in Byzantine and Modern Greek: *«νεαρόν ὕδωρ» nĕărón húdōr* (Classical/Koine Greek) --> _fresh water_ > *«νερόν ὕδωρ» nerón ýdor* (Early Byzantine Greek) > *«νερό(ν)» neró(n)* (Late Byzantine & Modern Greek).​


----------



## AndrasBP

elroy said:


> What about other languages? Does any language pattern exactly like one of the above for these particular items? Can you add to the list other words with a singular-plural mismatch across at least two languages?


In *Hungarian 🇭🇺*, *all *the words on your list are singular. 


*Lithuanian 🇱🇹*, on the other hand, has a penchant for the plural: many nouns are either "pluralia tantum" (plural only) or _usually _plural:

apart from

*scissors *- žirklės
*pants *- kelnės
*pliers *- replės
*eyeglasses *- akiniai
*hair  *- plaukai
*fruit *- vaisiai
*vegetables *- daržovės
and
*money *- pinigai,

it also has plural words for

*floor *(bottom part of a room) - grindys
*ceiling *- lubos
*flour *- miltai
*rice *- ryžiai
*dust *- dulkės
*gas *(matter like air) - dujos
*blade *(of a knife) - ašmenys
*breakfast *- pusryčiai
*lunch *- pietūs
*wedding *- vestuvės
*funeral *- laidotuvės, etc.

In case you're wondering, masculine plurals usually end in '-ai', while feminine ones in '-ės' or '-os'.


----------



## elroy

AndrasBP said:


> *floor *(bottom part of a room) - grindys
> *ceiling *- lubos
> *flour *- miltai
> *rice *- ryžiai
> *dust *- dulkės
> *gas *(matter like air) - dujos
> *blade *(of a knife) - ašmenys
> *breakfast *- pusryčiai
> *lunch *- pietūs
> *wedding *- vestuvės
> *funeral *- laidotuvės, etc.


Wow!  These are all singular in Palestinian Arabic, German, and Hebrew.  But “lunch,” which is literally “afternoon meal” in Hebrew, reminded me that “afternoon” is plural in Hebrew! (צהריים) It’s singular in the other languages.


----------



## Penyafort

Catalan:

*tisores*_, pl. _(It's common to hear *estisores *too in common speech)_ 
--*tisora*_, in the singular, is only one half of it. 
[From Old Catalan _tesores/tosores_, from Latin _(forfices) tonsorias 'shearing scissors'_]

*pantalons*_, pl.
*--pantaló *_in the singular is possible too, but more uncommon.
[From the Venetian comedy character _Pantalone_, via French _pantalon(s)_] 

*alicates*_, pl. _(Also *pinces*, in some contexts) 
[From (Andalusi/Maghrebi) Arabic _al-laqqāṭ_, via Spanish _alicates_. Unlike in Spanish, it's never sg. in Catalan]

*ulleres*_, pl.
--*ullera*, _in the singular, is a spyglass, a handheld telescope.
[From _ull _'eye' + -_era _'suffix for objects intended for sth']

*bicicleta*_, sg._
[Either from _bicicle _'velocipede'_ + -eta _'diminutive suffix' or a calque from French _byciclette_]

*cel*, _sg._
[From Latin _caelum_]

*cabells*, _pl. _
--_*cabell *_in the singular refers to one single hair on the head. The use of the singular for the whole mass of hair, now accepted, is a calque from Spanish.

*vida*_, sg._
[From Latin _vita_]

*cara*_, sg._
[From Late Latin _cara_, from Ancient Greek κᾰ́ρᾱ]

*fruita*_, sg.
--*fruites*_ in the plural when countable.
[From Late Latin _fructa_, pl. of fructu]

*verdura*_, sg. 
--*verdures *_in the plural when countable.
[From _verd _'green' + -ura 'quality suffix']

*aigua*_, sg.
--*aigües *_in the plural usually means waters, sea area, and some other restricted meanings, usually with an adjective.
[From Latin _aqua_]


----------



## elroy

It’s cool to see some of the Catalan/Spanish differences with these!



Penyafort said:


> _--*tisora*_, in the singular, is only one half of it.


Wow, that’s convenient, if you ever need to refer to just one half!  I’m not sure what I’d call that in any language!  Maybe “a scissor blade” in English, but that could be understood as just the sharp part. 



Penyafort said:


> *alicates*_, pl. _(Also *pinces*, in some contexts)
> [From (Andalusi/Maghrebi) Arabic _al-laqqāṭ_, via Spanish _alicates_. Unlike in Spanish, it's never sg. in Catalan]


Interesting!  In Palestinian Arabic ملقط (/malʔatˤ/*), from the same root, means “clothespin,” “tongs,” or “tweezers,” but NOT “pliers.”  

Oh, and now I’ve been reminded of two more!  “tongs” and “tweezers,” plural in English, singular in Palestinian Arabic and German, and one of each in Hebrew (“tongs” is plural and “tweezers” is singular). 

*/q/ > /ʔ/ is found in many words in colloquial Arabic.


----------



## AndrasBP

elroy said:


> Wow! These are all singular in Palestinian Arabic, German, and Hebrew.


Three more Lithuanian 'pluralia tantum' words:

*glue *- klijai
*door *- durys
*liver *(organ) - kepenys


----------



## Frank78

elroy said:


> *English*​*Palestinian Arabic*​*German*​*Hebrew*​scissors​مقصّ​Schere​מספריים​pants/trousers​بنطلون​Hose​מכנסיים​pliers​زرادية​Zange​מלקחת​eyeglasses​نظارات، نظارة*​Brille​משקפיים​bicycle​بسكليت​Fahrrad​אופניים​sky​سما​Himmel​שמיים​hair (mass)​شعر​Haare, Haar**​שיער​life​حياة​Leben​חיים​face​وجه​Gesicht​פנים​fruit (category)​فواكه​Obst​פירות​vegetables (category)​خضرة​Gemüse​ירקות​water​ميّ​Wasser​מיים​



Gemüse as category/collective noun is plural in German too. It just happens to be a word which has the same singular and plural form but when I read "Gemüse" in a supermarket I perceive it as "different types of vegetables", thus plural.

And "Hose" behaves like "Haar, Haare",  just with the singular being more popular nowadays but a sentence like "Deine neuen Hosen gefallen mir sehr" (= one pair of pants) is pretty much standard.


----------



## elroy

Frank78 said:


> Gemüse as category/collective noun is plural in German too. It just happens to be a word which has the same singular and plural form but when I read "Gemüse" in a supermarket I perceive it as "different types of vegetables", thus plural.


Hmmm... I would say "Das Gemüse an diesem Supermarkt ist immer frisch".  Would you say "Die Gemüse ... sind ..."?



Frank78 said:


> And "Hose" behaves like "Haar, Haare", just with the singular being more popular nowadays but a sentence like "Deine neuen Hosen gefallen mir sehr" (= one pair of pants) is pretty much standard.


I've always thought that this was an occasional English influence, but not really widespread, and certainly not standard?  Was I wrong?


----------



## Frank78

elroy said:


> Hmmm... I would say "Das Gemüse an diesem Supermarkt ist immer frisch".  Would you say "Die Gemüse ... sind ..."?



Yes, both are equally valid.



elroy said:


> I've always thought that this was an occasional English influence, but not really widespread, and certainly not standard?  Was I wrong?



Nope, here's the entry in Grimms' dictionary and as you can see it's marked with "mostly plural". So the singular has been a recent development. Originally "Hosen" just covered your calves and feet and thus you normally wore two, that's how the plural came in use.


----------



## elroy

Thanks!  I've updated the table in my first post.  Of "Hose/Hosen" and "Gemüse (sing.) / Gemüse (pl.)", which would you say is the more common of the two?


----------



## Frank78

elroy said:


> Thanks!  I've updated the table in my first post.  Of "Hose/Hosen" and "Gemüse (sing.) / Gemüse (pl.), which would you say is the more common of the two?



For Gemüse definitely singular, I'm not so sure about Hose vs Hosen. That's a tossup in my opinion.


----------



## atcheque

Cz: *dveře*, fpl (doors), but *brána*, fsg (gate).

Fr: *funérailles*, fpl ; *obsèques*, fpl.
Commonly: *festivités*, *élections*, are plural.


AndrasBP said:


> Lithuanian 'pluralia tantum'
> *liver *(organ) - kepenys


Cz: *játra*, neutral plural.


----------



## apmoy70

atcheque said:


> Cz: *dveře*, fpl (doors), but *brána*, fsg (gate).
> 
> Fr: *funérailles*, fpl ; *obsèques*, fpl.
> Commonly: *festivités*, *élections*, are plural.
> 
> Cz: *játra*, neutral plural.


*«Εκλογές»* [e̞klo̞ˈʝe̞s̠] (fem.) --> _élections_, *«εκδηλώσεις»* [e̞kðiˈlo̞s̠is̠] (fem.) --> _festivités_ are plural in Greek too.
_Happeninɡ_ (artistic or theatrical performance) is also plural: *«δρώμενα»* [ˈðro̞me̞na] (neut.).


----------



## Frank78

@elroy 

By the way, what about "sky" in English. I've seen and heard it more than once being used in the plural.


----------



## Awwal12

Russian generally corrsponds to English, except "hair" (vólosy) and "fruit" (frúkty) are plural. And, much like in English, there is both sg. sky (nébo) and pl. skies (nebesá, especially in the meaning "Heaven").


----------



## Awwal12

atcheque said:


> Cz: *dveře*, fpl (doors), but *brána*, fsg (gate).


In Russian "door(s)" basically can be both sg. (dver') and pl. (dvéri), even though the latter is used either for doors with multiple door leaves indeed, or for a single doorframe in certain fixed expressions.

"Gate", however, is always plural (voróta).


----------



## apmoy70

Awwal12 said:


> In Russian "door(s)" basically can be both sg. (dver') and pl. (dvéri), even though the latter is used either for doors with multiple door leaves indeed, or for a single doorframe in certain fixed expressions.
> 
> "Gate", however, is always plural (voróta).


Is that in every-day use, or is it under influence from the Orthodox Liturgy?
Двери, двери! Премудростию вонмем.
Τὰς θύρας, τὰς θύρας! Ἐν σοφίᾳ πρόσχωμεν.
The doors, the doors! In Wisdom let us be attentive.


----------



## Awwal12

apmoy70 said:


> Is that in every-day use


Considering that doors with double door leaves are an everyday occurence (e.g. in public transport) and expressions like "to stand in the doorway" (Rus. стоять в дверях) are quite common as well, then yes, I suppose so.


----------



## apmoy70

^^I'm asking because here it's considered an archaism and we're accustomed to it by hearing it during Liturgy


----------



## amikama

elroy said:


> pliers​زرادية​Zange​מלקחת​


מלקחת is correct, but not in common use  Most of the speakers use the word פלייר (plier, in singular!) instead. 



elroy said:


> fruit (category)​فواكه​Obst​פירות​vegetables (category)​خضرة​Gemüse, Gemüse​ירקות​


For fruit/vegetables as a category, the singular is used as well: פרי/פירות, ירק/ירקות.



elroy said:


> “afternoon” is plural in Hebrew! (צהריים)


צהריים is "noon". "Afternoon" = אחרי הצהריים.


----------



## elroy

I just thought of another one: clothes/clothing.

Singular or plural in English (clothing/clothes) and German (Kleidung/Kleider).  German also has the informal "Klamotten," which is plural. 
Plural in Palestinian Arabic (قواعي) and Hebrew (בגדים)

By the way, I know at least four totally different-sounding Arabic words for clothes/clothing:

قواعي */ʔawa:ʕi/* (Palestinian)
ملابس */mala:bis/ *(Standard)
تياب */tja:b/ *(Syrian) or */tje:b/* Lebanese)
هدوم */hudu:m/* (Egyptian)

They're all plural. 



Frank78 said:


> By the way, what about "sky" in English. I've seen and heard it more than once being used in the plural.


"skies" is possible, but it's literary/poetic.  In everyday speech, people use "sky."


----------



## סייבר־שד

elroy said:


> I just thought of another one: clothes/clothing.
> 
> Singular or plural in English (clothing/clothes) and German (Kleidung/Kleider). German also has the informal "Klamotten," which is plural.
> Plural in Palestinian Arabic (قواعي) and Hebrew (בגדים)


In Spanish it's used in singular: _ropa_.
The plural form is admitted, but it would definitely sound archaic or poetic.

_Prenda _is a different beast, used to refer to a single (and only a single) item of clothing, and thus freely admitting pluralization, but unlike _ropa_ it has many other meanings, too.



elroy said:


> "skies" is possible, but it's literary/poetic.  In everyday speech, people use "sky."


I'm not so sure of that. If I remember well, I've heard it used as a plural in weather forecasts; sure, it may not be quite the same as everyday small-talk or the like, but I still wouldn't consider that a literary/poetic usage.


----------



## elroy

סייבר־שד said:


> If I remember well, I've heard it used as a plural in weather forecasts; sure, it may not be quite the same as everyday small-talk or the like, but I still wouldn't consider that a literary/poetic usage.


You're right; that's another non-everyday usage I hadn't thought of.  So it's either literary/poetic or weather-forecast-speak.  



סייבר־שד said:


> _Prenda _is a different beast, used to refer to a single (and only a single) item of clothing


This is a great, useful word that neither English nor Arabic has a straightforward equivalent for.  I just posted in a thread where I had to talk around it to make it work: Cada prenda es una nueva historia (Hebrew, as you know, has בגד.)


----------



## סייבר־שד

elroy said:


> You're right; that's another non-everyday usage I hadn't thought of. So it's either literary/poetic or weather-forecast-speak.


Oh yes, weather-forecast-speak has its own fair share of linguistic delights. 



elroy said:


> This is a great, useful word that neither English nor Arabic has a straightforward equivalent for.


I didn't know Arabic doesn't have a straightforward equivalent for that one! But I probably shouldn't be so surprised, languages being as variegated as they are (_speaking of archaic talk..._). 

I found your workaround to the OP's phrase in that post quite good, by the way. I love the fact you even went to the trouble of making up for the greater length with rhyme!


----------



## atcheque

elroy said:


> German also has the informal "Klamotten," which is plural.


Fr : *fringues*, fpl ; but *habit*, *vêtement*, msg, even if often used in plural.
Also : *affaires* fpl, _stuff, business_ but often _clothes_.


----------



## elroy

Also “vêtements” and “habilles,” right?


----------



## atcheque

elroy said:


> Also “vêtements” and “habilles,” right?


Yes, I was just developing my post. Attention _habillés_ is a past participle, _habit_ is the noun.


----------



## elroy

Oh, I thought “habilles” was a noun.  I must have heard “mes habits” and thought it was “mes habilles.”

In English “habit” refers to what a nun wears.  What is that called in French?


----------



## סייבר־שד

atcheque said:


> Fr : *fringues*, fpl ; but *habit* msg, even if often used in plural.
> Also : *affaires* fpl, _stuff, business_ but often _clothes_.


Here in Mexico we might say, in an informal way, *trapos* or *garras *, both plural and meaning literally "rags" and "claws"  , respectively.

In the case of the latter, the _Diccionario de mexicanismos _published by the Mexican Academy of the Language lists the following three meanings for it:

_(popular, colloquial, pejorative)_

*1)*_ (used also in *singular*) _Prenda de vestir, ropa = Clothes, clothing

*2) *Ropa vieja* = Old clothes

*3) *Vestimenta inapropiada = Improper clothing

*As a side note, there's another Mexicanism that looks almost the same as this, but both words are joined: _ropavieja_, however, that one has nothing to do with garments of any sort. It's actually a dish  , and it's made of cooked and shredded beef, fried and seasoned with tomatoes, red chili peppers and other condiments.


----------



## elroy

I wonder how “claws” came to mean “clothes”!


----------



## סייבר־שד

elroy said:


> I wonder how “claws” came to mean “clothes”!


I believe it has to do with the fact that old clothes are also sometimes ripped, frayed and torn, and so the association was made with claws, that would've damaged them so.

Actually, a phrase that's sometimes used here in Mexico, usually by parents scolding their old-and-torn-clothes-wearing children, and especially when they really should be wearing something better, goes like this: _¡Mira nada más! Con esa ropa parece que te agarró un león. _Which could be translated into English thus: _Well, look at you! One would think a lion grabbed you, at the sight of those clothes.  _


----------



## elroy

I would say:
_Just look at you, seeing those clothes you’d think a lion *had* gotten its hands on you! _



סייבר־שד said:


> ripped, frayed and torn


We have a fixed expression for this: “*tattered* and torn.”


----------



## apmoy70

elroy said:


> I just thought of another one: clothes/clothing.
> 
> Singular or plural in English (clothing/clothes) and German (Kleidung/Kleider).  German also has the informal "Klamotten," which is plural.
> Plural in Palestinian Arabic (قواعي) and Hebrew (בגדים)
> ...


Singular or plural in Greek too: *«ρουχισμός»* [ɾuçiˈz̠mo̞s̠] (masc. sinɡ.) --> _clothinɡ_, *«ρούχα»* [ˈɾuxa] (neut. pl.) --> _clothes_ < ByzGr *«ροῦχα» roûkha* (neut. pl.) --> _garments, clothing_ < South-Slavic рухо --> _wearable property_.

Some nouns that are in plural in Greek and mostly in singular in English:
-*«Εγκαίνια»* [e̞ɲˈɟe̞ni.a] (neut. pl.) --> _inauɡuration, vernissaɡe, ɡrand openinɡ_; a compound= prefix and preposition *«ἐν» ĕn* + adj. *«καινός» kainós*.
-*«Τρεχάματα»* [t̠re̞ˈxamat̠a] (neut. pl.) --> _hustle and bustle, trouble_, lit. _runninɡs_, a deverbative noun, from the v. *«τρέχω»* [ˈt̠rexo̞] < Classical v. *«τρέχω» trékʰō*.
-*«Αρραβώνες»* [aɾaˈvo̞ne̞s̠] (masc. pl.) --> _enɡaɡement, betrothal_ < Κoine masc. noun *«ἀῤῥαβών» ărrʰăbṓn*.
-*«Γράμματα και τέχνες»* [ˈɣramat̠aˌce̞ˈt̠e̞xne̞s̠] --> _letters and arts_, a poetic way to refer to _literature and art_: «γράμματα» [ˈɣramat̠a] (neut. pl.) --> _letters, literature_, «τέχνες» [ˈte̞xne̞s̠] (fem. pl.) --> _art_.
-All the names of foreign languages are in plural, they're nominalised adjectives that used to modify the plural neuter noun _letters_, which is _literature_ and is now omitted:
*«Γαλλικά»* [ɣaliˈka] (neut. pl.) --> _French (lanɡuaɡe)_, *«Aγγλικά»* [aŋɡliˈka] (neut. pl.) --> _Enɡlish (lanɡuaɡe)_, *«Aραβικά»* [aɾaviˈka] (neut. pl.) --> _Arabic (lanɡuaɡe)_, *«Κινεζικά»* [cine̞z̠iˈka] (neut. pl.) --> _Chinese (lanɡuaɡe)_, *«Ισπανικά»* [is̠paniˈka] (neut. pl.) --> _Spanish (lanɡuaɡe)_, *«Καταλανικά»* [kat̠alaniˈka] (neut. pl.) --> _Catalan (lanɡuaɡe)_ etc.


----------



## raamez

amikama said:


> צהריים is "noon".


It also occurs in spoken Arabic as ضهريات, although with different nuances than the singular ضهر.


elroy said:


> By the way, I know at least four totally different-sounding Arabic words for clothes/clothing:
> 
> قواعي */ʔawa:ʕi/* (Palestinian)
> ملابس */mala:bis/ *(Standard)
> تياب */tja:b/ *(Syrian) or */tje:b/* Lebanese)
> هدوم */hudu:m/* (Egyptian)


@elroy It is أواعي not قواعي   because it is the plural of وعاء vessel. هدوم is also used in Syria


----------



## elroy

raamez said:


> It is أواعي not قواعي


Oops! 

I didn’t know the etymology!  I only knew أوعية as the plural of وعاء. 

هدوم sounds so quintessentially Egyptian to me it sounds funny if I imagine it being said in a Syrian accent!  

I imagine it’s pronounced هْدوم, not هُدوم?

And what’s the etymology?  Does it have anything to do with demolition?


----------



## raamez

elroy said:


> I imagine it’s pronounced هْدوم, not هُدوم?


Exactly


elroy said:


> And what’s the etymology?  Does it have anything to do with demolition?


It is the plural form of هِدْم (like قِرد_قِرود)  which originally meant something like tattered clothing


----------



## סייבר־שד

elroy said:


> I would say:
> _Just look at you, seeing those clothes you’d think a lion *had* gotten its hands on you! _


I'm sorry, I wasn't very clear about that, I was going for a more literal translation there, actually. 



elroy said:


> We have a fixed expression for this: “*tattered* and torn.”


"Tattered", that's the word, indeed! Cheers for refreshing my memory!


----------



## Włoskipolak 72

Polish

They're always plural

scissors  =  nożyczki
pants/trousers  = spodnie/spodenki
pliers  =  szczypce
eyeglasses  = okulary
hair (mass) = włosy 
vegetables (category) = warzywa
fruit (category) =  owoce

perfume  = perfumy
birthday  = urodziny
engagement = zaręczyny
back  = plecy
chess  = szachy
Italy = Włochy  
violin = skrzypce 
stairs = schody


They're always singular 

bicycle  = rower
sky  = niebo
life  = życie
face = twarz
water = woda


----------



## סייבר־שד

Włoskipolak 72 said:


> perfume = perfumy
> birthday = urodziny
> engagement = zaręczyny
> back = plecy
> chess = szachy
> Italy = Włochy
> violin = skrzypce
> stairs = schody



*Italy *and *violin *are pluralia tantum in Polish?  The latter is particularly shocking to me!

*Chess *is, of course, hardly a surprise, on the other hand; out of the languages I've learned, Russian, French, Italian and Catalan also use it only in plural, and I guess there are many more that do the same.

The others I actually kind of get, even though in my mother tongue, and most foreign languages I know, they're all, or almost, singular (including chess ).


----------



## elroy

Włoskipolak 72 said:


> perfume = perfumy
> birthday = urodziny
> engagement = zaręczyny
> back = plecy
> chess = szachy
> Italy = Włochy
> violin = skrzypce
> stairs = schody


These are all singular in Arabic and German, even “stairs”! 



סייבר־שד said:


> in my mother tongue, and most foreign languages I know, they're all, or almost, singular (including chess ).


Is “stairs” singular in Spanish? I would say “escaleras.”


----------



## סייבר־שד

elroy said:


> These are all singular in Arabic and German, even “stairs”!


Indeed! But now that I think about it, I can't think of any languages other than English and Polish (cheers @Włoskipolak 72  ) where stairs are a plurale tantum. Hebrew, Dutch, Russian, Catalan, French, Italian...all of them have singular forms for it. Ah, wait! Welsh, I believe, also has a plural-only form: *grisiau*! I don't know if there are other words in Welsh for that, though, maybe @Welsh_Sion could enlighten us on that? 



elroy said:


> Is “stairs” singular in Spanish? I would say “escaleras.”


Well, technically, it should be in singular, unless you're talking about more than one flight of stairs, of course, but it's also true that sometimes people may say *escaleras *even if they only mean _one _set of stairs.
Not rare, by far, here in Mexico, but it has always sounded wrong to me.


----------



## elroy

I thought it was plural in French too (“escalier”), but I guess I was wrong!


----------



## סייבר־שד

elroy said:


> I thought it was plural in French too (“escalier”), but I guess I was wrong!


Eh oui, mon ami! 
Like in Spanish, it _can _be plural, but it certainly shouldn't unless you mean more than one set of stairs. 

Something like: 

_"Her friend was waiting for her at the foot of the stairs." _

would be:

_"Son ami l'attendait au pied de l'*escalier*."_

But if you wanted to say something like:

_"Careful! Those stairs look dangerous."_

meaning two or more flights of stairs, then of course you would use the plural form:

_"Attention! Ces *escaliers*-là ont l'air dangereux."_


----------



## Welsh_Sion

סייבר־שד said:


> Indeed! But now that I think about it, I can't think of any languages other than English and Polish (cheers @Włoskipolak 72  ) where stairs are a plurale tantum. Hebrew, Dutch, Russian, Catalan, French, Italian...all of them have singular forms for it. Ah, wait! Welsh, I believe, also has a plural-only form: *grisiau*! I don't know if there are other words in Welsh for that, though, maybe @Welsh_Sion could enlighten us on that?
> 
> 
> Well, technically, it should be in singular, unless you're talking about more than one flight of stairs, of course, but it's also true that sometimes people may say *escaleras *even if they only mean _one _set of stairs.
> Not rare, by far, here in Mexico, but it has always sounded wrong to me.



Apologies, I am busy getting ready for a family wedding and finishing off my real work before the weekend to answer in detail. However, I suggest you look at 'stair' in this dictionary. (You have to register first - no big deal). It's free.

Geiriadur yr Academi | The Welsh Academy English-Welsh Dictionary Online


----------



## סייבר־שד

Welsh_Sion said:


> Apologies, I am busy getting ready for a family wedding and finishing off my real work before the weekend to answer in detail. However, I suggest you look at 'stair' in this dictionary. (You have to register first - no big deal). It's free.
> 
> Geiriadur yr Academi | The Welsh Academy English-Welsh Dictionary Online


That's alright, thank you very much, will do!


----------



## elroy

I just thought of another one:

"headquarters" is plural in English and singular in Arabic (مقر) and German (Hauptsitz).

Is it plural in any other languages?


----------



## Olaszinhok

סייבר־שד said:


> , Italian...all of them have singular forms for it.


Could you please elaborate? What do you mean? Italian does have _scale (stairs),_ which is defenitely plural! Ladder is singular in Italian _scala (a pioli). _Go up/down the stairs_ - salire/scendere le scale. _Le scale - Die Treppe (singular in German).
However, we can certainly use _scala _ in certain contexts: _scala esterna_ - outdoor staircase _scala antincendio_: fire escape and so on.
Welsh-Sion's example in French is also interesting:
_Son ami l'attendait au pied de l'*escalier*." (singular)
*Il suo amico l'aspettava in fondo alle /ai piedi delle scale *(plural)_


----------



## elroy

Olaszinhok said:


> Italian does have _scale,_ which is defenitely plural!


Do you use it for one flight of stairs?


----------



## Olaszinhok

elroy said:


> Do you use it for one flight of stairs?


That's rampa di scale.


----------



## elroy

So in English, even if you’re just going up one flight of stairs and you don’t want or need to specify how many flights it is, you say “I’m going up the stairs,” plural.  Would you use “scale” in Italian (without “rampa”)?


----------



## Olaszinhok

elroy said:


> Would you use “scale” in Italian (without “rampa”)?


Yes, I would. The singular form _scala_ is mainly used for ladder _(scala a pioli)._


----------



## apmoy70

elroy said:


> I just thought of another one:
> 
> "headquarters" is plural in English and singular in Arabic (مقر) and German (Hauptsitz).
> 
> Is it plural in any other languages?


In Greek it's a bit complicated:
-In formal language it's singular: *«Αρχηγείο»* [arçiˈʝi.o̞] (neut. nom. sing.) a modern construction (1833), a compound: ΜοGr feminine noun *«ἀρχή»* [arˈçi] (fem.) --> _authority_ < Classical feminine noun *«ἀρχή» ărkʰḗ* + MoGr v. *«ἄγω»* [ˈaɣo̞] --> _to lead, ɡuide_ < Classical v. *«ἄγω» ắɡō*.
-In the vernacular it's plural: *«Κεντρικά»* [ce̞ndriˈka] (neut. nom. pl.) --> _(the) centrals_, a modern word (1834) based on the ancient noun *«κέντρον» kéntrŏn*.


----------



## Yendred

In French, the differences with English in your original list are:


elroy said:


> hair (mass)​شعر​Haare, Haar**​​


_des cheveux (plural) = hair (mass), _but a single hair is _un cheveu. _By the way, we have a fixed expression_ "comme un cheveu dans la soupe" _(lit. _like a hair in the soup_) which means "_at an awkward moment_".



elroy said:


> pants/trousers​بنطلون​Hose,​


_un pantalon_ (singular), but some rare people keep saying _des pantalons_ (plural) for a single piece of cloth.



elroy said:


> fruit (category)​فواكه​Obst​פירות​


_les fruits (plural) = fruit (category)_


----------



## סייבר־שד

Olaszinhok said:


> Could you please elaborate? What do you mean? Italian does have _scale (stairs),_ which is defenitely plural! Ladder is singular in Italian _scala (a pioli). _Go up/down the stairs_ - salire/scendere le scale. _Le scale - Die Treppe (singular in German).
> However, we can certainly use _scala _ in certain contexts: _scala esterna_ - outdoor staircase _scala antincendio_: fire escape and so on.


It seems I wasn't clear enough before. What I meant is that those languages I mentioned don't use their own word for "stairs" as a *plurale tantum*.

I am well aware that not only Italian, but all the others I mentioned alongside it, _do _have plural forms, but that's not the _only_ form that's ever used in those languages to talk about stairs.

As for the usual way to refer to stairs (in *singular*) in Italian, it may well be, like you say, the plural form which is often (always?) used, I admit I don't think I have listened to enough Italian speakers to either confirm or deny that, but that reminds me of what I mentioned about how many people often talk about stairs in my mother tongue: many people say _escaleras _even if they only mean *one* set of stairs, but that's actually wrong, the correct form in that case is definitely _escalera_.

As for Italian _scala_, here's how the Zingarelli defines it (I'm only including the meaning that concerns this discussion, of course):

"_*scala* _(s.f.) 1) In un edificio, elemento architettonico costituito da una o più serie di scalini, dette rampe, intervallate da pianerottoli, che serve a superare dislivelli, posando il piedi su elementi piani detti pedate."

And the Treccani says the following:

"_*scala*_

s. f. [lat. tardo _scala -ae_ (nel lat. class. soltanto al plur., _scalae -arum_), der. di _scandĕre_ «salire»]. – *1.* Termine generico per indicare vari tipi di strutture fisse o mobili, a scalini o a pioli, che consentono alle persone di superare agevolmente un dislivello, salendo o scendendo a piedi. *a.* Come struttura fissa, è parte integrante dei fabbricati a vari piani, costituita da una serie di gradini (nei quali l’altezza viene definita _alzata_ e la profondità _pedata_) disposti secondo un piano inclinato; può essere continua o intrammezzata da ripiani (_pianerottoli_), da cui risulta divisa in più capi (o _rampe_); è sostenuta, in genere, da una gabbia formata da muri portanti o da travi inclinate (_a ginocchio_) e pilastri, che circoscrivono lo spazio in cui è inserita; nel tipo più comune di scala a più rampe la gabbia è a pianta rettangolare (meno spesso poligonale o a lati curvi) e le rampe danno luogo a uno spazio centrale (_tromba_ o _pozzo_) vuoto; quando le rampe per ciascun piano sono solo due, la tromba si riduce a uno spazio allungato e stretto nel quale può trovare posto una muratura (_anima_): in questo caso i gradini possono essere appoggiati da un lato all’anima e dall’altro ai muri perimetrali (_s. appoggiata_); negli altri casi, peraltro più frequenti, i gradini sono incastrati nei muri o nelle travi a ginocchio perimetrali e sporgono a sbalzo verso l’interno della tromba (_s. a sbalzo_); _s. a volta_, quella le cui rampe sono sostenute da volte rampanti a doppia curvatura, usata largamente fino all’introduzione del ferro nell’edilizia; _s. esterna_, _interna_; _s. principale_ (in palazzi signorili detta _s. regia_); _s. di servizio_; _s. a rampe_; _s. a chiocciola_ (v. chiocciola); _s. ripida_, _erta_, _comoda_, _agevole_; […]"

I find the following of relevance to the matter at hand (the bold is mine):

"*spesso al plur., l’insieme di più rampe*: _salire_, _scendere le s._[…]"

Thus, if most or all Italian speakers say "salire / scendere le scale" even if they only mean one set of stairs (again, like it sometimes happens in Spanish), that's just the way it is, but that doesn't mean it's not wrong.


----------



## Olaszinhok

סייבר־שד said:


> I am well aware that not only Italian, but all the others I mentioned alongside it, _do _have plural forms, but that's not the _only_ form that's ever used in those languages to talk about stairs.


As ElRoy said, I normally use the plural both in French and Portuguese. For Spanish, it depends...Subir/bajar la escalera is pretty common in this language.   German does use the singular.


סייבר־שד said:


> Thus, if most or all Italian speakers say "salire / scendere le scale" even if they only mean one set of stairs (again, like it sometimes happens in Spanish), that's just the way it is, but that doesn't mean it's not wrong


Each language has its own usages.
For instance, I would say when referring to one fight of stairs:_ mi manca una rampa (di scale)_ _per arrivare in cima_ literally: there is one flight (of stairs) left to get to the top.


----------



## סייבר־שד

Olaszinhok said:


> Each language has its own usages.


This!

Sometimes I think this peculiar usage of plural forms of the word _stairs_ in some languages even when actually meaning only one may be due to the *steps *getting mixed up and becoming synonymous with the actual* stairs *in speakers' minds. 

It also seems to me that stairs are just one of those things we often seem to talk about collectively, not caring much about their exact number. Almost like you would about things like doves, bees, watermelons, trees, etc, in Arabic, where unless you want to talk about a _specific_ tree or bee, you would just go for the collective form of the noun. Well, at least I understand that's how it works in Modern Standard Arabic, I don't really know if that's also the case with the dialects.


----------

