Pluralize: meaning, definitions and examples

📚
Add to dictionary

pluralize

 

[ˈplʊr.əl.aɪz ]

Definition

Context #1 | Verb

grammar usage

To pluralize is to change a word to its plural form, which typically signifies that there is more than one of the noun. In English, this is commonly achieved by adding an 's' or 'es' to the end of a word. However, some nouns undergo irregular changes when pluralized, such as 'mouse' becoming 'mice'. Understanding the rules of pluralization is essential for proper grammar and communication in English.

Synonyms

convert to plural, make plural, plural form.

Examples of usage

  • Cats are the plural form of cat.
  • The teacher asked us to pluralize the word 'child'.
  • To pluralize 'rocket', you add 's' to make 'rockets'.

Interesting Facts

Etymology

  • The word 'plural' comes from the Latin word 'pluralis', meaning 'more than one'.
  • The addition of 'ize' makes it a verb, meaning 'to make' or 'to create'.
  • In Middle English, plural forms were often irregular, with many changes in spelling.

Grammar

  • In English, most nouns are pluralized by adding 's' or 'es', but some nouns have unique plural forms, such as 'child' becoming 'children'.
  • In some cases, the pronunciation changes too, like 'mouse' becoming 'mice'.
  • Languages around the world have different rules for pluralizing based on their own grammatical structures.

Cultural Impact

  • The concept of pluralization is significant in many languages, influencing how communities express quantity and relationships.
  • In poetry and literature, pluralization can alter meanings and themes, often stressing connection or abundance.
  • Online content creation often uses plural forms to reach broader audiences or communicate collective ideas.

Education

  • Learning to pluralize correctly is one of the first lessons in grammar classes because it helps in constructing proper sentences.
  • Many educational tools, like flashcards and games, focus on pluralization to reinforce language skills for children.
  • Teaching plural forms often includes fun exercises that encourage kids to think of groups of objects, birds, animals, etc.

Linguistic Variation

  • Different languages have various ways to indicate pluralization; for instance, Arabic uses a system of broken plurals.
  • Some Asian languages use classifiers alongside pluralization to indicate quantity more clearly.
  • In some indigenous languages, such as Hawaiian, pluralization can be indicated with specific markers rather than changes to the noun itself.

Translations

Translations of the word "pluralize" in other languages:

🇵🇹 pluralizar

🇮🇳 बहुवचन बनाना

🇩🇪 pluralisieren

🇮🇩 memplural

🇺🇦 утворити множину

🇵🇱 pluralizować

🇯🇵 複数形にする

🇫🇷 mettre au pluriel

🇪🇸 pluralizar

🇹🇷 çoğul hale getirmek

🇰🇷 복수형으로 만들다

🇸🇦 صياغة الجمع

🇨🇿 pluralizovat

🇸🇰 pluralizovať

🇨🇳 复数化

🇸🇮 pluralizirati

🇮🇸 fletta í fleirtölu

🇰🇿 көпше ету

🇬🇪 ბრალიანი ფორმა

🇦🇿 cəm etmək

🇲🇽 pluralizar

Word Frequency Rank

At position #41,397, this word is among the less frequently used terms in English. While interesting to know, it's not crucial for most English learners unless needed for specific purposes.