pluralise
/'pluərəlaiz/ Cách viết khác : (pluralise) /'pluərəlaiz/
Definition
Verb (Transitive):
- To make a word plural in form; to mark or inflect a word to indicate that it refers to more than one person, thing, or instance.
- To express or represent in a plural form.
Verb (Intransitive):
- To take a plural form; to become plural.
Usage
- As a transitive verb, "pluralise" takes a direct object (the word being changed).
- As an intransitive verb, it describes the action of a word itself changing.
Examples
- Transitive use:
- Most editors will automatically pluralise regular nouns ending in 'y'.
- How do you pluralise the word 'octopus'? Is it 'octopuses' or 'octopi'?
- Intransitive use:
- Some words borrowed from Latin pluralise according to Latin rules.
- Not all nouns pluralise in the same way.
Advanced Usage
- In linguistics, "pluralise" is used to describe the grammatical process of forming plurals across different languages.
- In computing and data processing, it can refer to the automatic grammatical correction of text.
Variants and Related Words
- Pluralisation (noun, chiefly British English): The act or process of making something plural.
- Pluralize (verb, chiefly American English spelling): An alternative spelling of "pluralise".
- Plural (adjective/noun): The form of a word used to refer to more than one.
Synonyms
- Make plural
- Inflect for number (more technical, linguistic term)
Notes on Meaning
- The core meaning is strictly grammatical, relating to number (singular vs. plural). It does not mean "to multiply" in a mathematical or general sense.
- The word is neutral and descriptive, not prescriptive. It describes how a word change, not necessarily how it change.
Verb
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mark with a grammatical morpheme that indicates plural
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How do speakers pluralize nouns in Japanese?
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