English plurals

SURUMA

JF-Expert Member
Mar 22, 2011
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We’ll begin with a box, and the plural isboxes. But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes. One fowl is goose, but twoare called geese. Yet the plural of moose should never be meese; You may find alone mouse or a nest full of mice, Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men, whyshouldn't the plural of pan be called pen? If I speak of my foot and show youmy feet, And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet? If one is a toothand a whole set are teeth,Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth ?

Then one may be that, & three would bethose, Yet hat in the plural would never be hose; And the plural of cat iscats, not cose. We speak of a brother & also of brethren, But though we saymother, we never say methren. Then the masculine pronouns are he, his &him, But imagine the feminine: she, shis & shim !
Let's face it - English is acrazy language. There is neitheregg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; Neither apple nor pine inpineapple. Englishmuffins weren't invented in England.

We take English for granted, Butif we explore its paradoxes, We find that quicksand can work slowly, Boxingrings are square; Aguinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. Why is it that writerswrite, but fingers don't fing, Grocersdon't groce & hammers don't ham ?

Doesn't it seem crazy that ...You can makeamends but not one amend ? If you have a bunch of odds and ends ...And get ridof all but one of them, What do you call it ?If teachers taught, why didn't preacherspraught ? If a vegetarian eats vegetables,Whatdoes a humanitarian eat ?If Father is Pop ....How come Mother's not Mop ? ? ? ?


 

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