# Moustache or moustaches?



## Outsider

Inspired by this thread in the Slavic languages forum, I decided to expand the question:


_Is the word for this concept in your language singular like "moustache", plural like "whiskers", or neither (if there is no morphological distinction is made between the singular and the plural)? 
[*]If there are several words for it, which is most used?_
In Portuguese, the word for "moustache" is *bigode*. Although it can be used in the plural too, *bigodes*, this is less common, and often done just for comical effect.

Thanks in advance.


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## Fernita

In Spanish, we say *bigote* or *bigotes *(though this one is less common).
In fact, both are accepted by the DRAE.

Saludos.


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## Montesacro

In italian we say _baffi_ (plural).
There is a dated synonym as well: _mustacchi_ (plural).
Anyway a very common nickname for a moustached man is _Baffo _(singular)_..._


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## Orreaga

Hungarian: _bajusz  _(singular).  
However body parts in pairs usually take the singular in Hungarian when referring to both, so the singular can include a plural meaning.


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## OldAvatar

Romanian:
sg.: _mustaţă_
pl.: _mustăţi _(used when refered to animals, in general = whiskers)


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## Stéphane89

In French, it can be used as well in the singular as in the plural. However, I think there is a slight difference:

http://www.entrelespotos.com/potos/adm/joueur/moustache2.JPG I would say: Cet homme a une moustache (this man has a moustache).

http://www.lambiek.net/artists/u/uderzo/asterix_postcard.jpg But I would say of this one: Cet homme a des moustaches (this man has moustaches).


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## Chazzwozzer

It's singular in Turkish: _*bıyık*_.


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## Frank06

Hi,

In *Dutch* we have _snor_ (singular). Quite old fashioned is the word _knevel_, and that's singular too.

Groetjes,

Frank


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## Hakro

In *Finnish* we use plural, _viikset_.

In certain contexts it's possible to say in singular _viiksi_, mostly in compound words, for example _viiksiniekka_, a derogatory word for a man with whiskers.


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## Sidjanga

In German it's _Schnurrbart_. 

It is never used in plural.


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## Nizo

In Esperanto, we say _lipharoj_, "lip hairs."


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## Qcumber

Some men have a single moustache (remember some well-known dictators), and others have two moustaches that fall on either side of the mouth.


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## Sidjanga

Qcumber said:


> Some men have a single moustache (remember some well-known dictators), and others have two moustaches that fall on either side of the mouth.


Of course, but I think we are all aware of that.

Nevertheless, in some languages the word used is always plural whereas in others it's always singular.
There might be other words and expressions, though, if further specification should be needed.

[apart from that, unless you deliberately _want _to look like certain historical characters, you might prefer not to choose the single central version anyway...]


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## Lingvisten

In danish it's "overskæg" and the word is _singularia tantum_.
In russian it's "усы" and the word is _pluralia tantum._


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## astlanda

Estonian:
commonly "vuntsid" plural. (may be related to Polish: "wązy")
Singular "vunts" sounds a bit funny, but may be used as well referring both to one half or both of them.

Another word "vurrud" (plural) is more often used speaking about animals.
Singular "vurr" means a single hair of moustaches, but sometimes refers to moustaches as whole.


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## Consimmer

In Malay: _Misai_ for a person's moustache. The plural (_misai-misai)_ is used to refer to more than one person's moustache.


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## sokol

Sigianga said:


> In German it's _Schnurrbart_.
> 
> It is never used in plural.



There are other words for it, especially here in Austria 'Schnauzer' or 'Schnauzbart' is used too which supposedly should be considerably bigger than a 'Schnurrbart' (but I am not quite sure that the common people, me included, do feel that both words mean something significantly different).
And then there are too several ironical words for the moustache.

All of them are singular words however - _none _could be used as a plural meaning only one moustache.


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## Alijsh

*Persian*: the word is *rish* and it can be pluralized (*rishhâ*). the word is *sebil* and it can be pluralized (*sebilhâ*) (Thanks Shannenms for the correction).


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## shannenms

Alijsh said:


> *Persian*: the word is *rish* and it can be pluralized (*rishhâ*).


 
Are you sure?
I think it should be _*Sebeel*_.

All best,


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## Alijsh

shannenms said:


> Are you sure?
> I think it should be _*Sebeel*_.
> 
> All best,


My apologies. I sometimes confuse them in English. Yes, it's *sebil* and it can be pluralized.


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## Sidjanga

sokol said:


> There are other words for it, especially here in Austria 'Schnauzer' or 'Schnauzbart' is used too which supposedly should be considerably bigger than a 'Schnurrbart' (but I am not quite sure that the common people, me included, do feel that both words mean something significantly different).
> ...


Indeed.

In Germany it's used too, though much less than Schnurrbart; perhaps because the principal meaning of _Schnauzer _(here) is this. 

As to sizes, according the Duden a Schnauzbart (Schnauzer) is actually a "large Schnurrbart". But I too doubt that people who use the word "abide" by this rule.


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## knight_2004

Arabic: Sharib, Shawarib (pl)


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## OneStroke

Chinese doesn't have plurality, but semantically, 鬍鬚 (huxu) is certainly plural.


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## apmoy70

In Greek:

In the vernacular language, «μουστάκι» /mu'staci/ (neut. singular), a Byzantine diminutive of the Classical Greek masculine noun «μύσταξ» ('mŭstāks)--> _upper lip, moustache_; the name reserved for females (which described the woman's upper lip of course and not some kind of moustache) was the feminine noun «μάσταξ» ('măstāks). PIE base *mndʰ-/ment(h)-, _chin, beard, mouth_ (cognate with Lat. mentum; Fr. menton; Eng. mouth; Ger. Mund)


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## mataripis

In Pilipino, it is "Bigote" (from Espanyol) but in Tagalog it is "Balbas". The general form of word is "Buhok" (hair) and sometimes "Balbon" hair in skin.


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## Encolpius

*Czech *--- knír, knírek (singular)


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## Dymn

In *Catalan *_bigoti _(sing.) and _bigotis _(pl.) work as in Spanish and Portuguese.


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