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honestrosewater
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I've been considering making an effort to retire some of English's rule-breaking words, replacing them with words that follow the normal rules. It's not actually anything new. The process, regularization, happens naturally in languages. I'm just wondering how much we should intentionally help it along -- or, I suppose, even resist it. So I'd like to test out a fast and thorough approach in this thread, i.e., stopping using all of the rule-breaking words cold turkey. It would be great if you guys could help me find any problems or difficulties with this, let me know what you think, if you'd actually use the new words (incl. away from PF), if you have other suggestions, etc. Please do try to use the rule-following words as much as possible in this thread (perhaps even before forming an opinion about them) so we can see them in action.
Competent English speakers already use and 'know' these rules, on some level, so if you think you fall into that group, you can probably get by just reading the rule. Here's one to get things started. I'll add more if this doesn't immediately crash and burn.
Rule 1. Form plurals by attaching the plural suffix to the singular noun form, as in
Competent English speakers already use and 'know' these rules, on some level, so if you think you fall into that group, you can probably get by just reading the rule. Here's one to get things started. I'll add more if this doesn't immediately crash and burn.
Rule 1. Form plurals by attaching the plural suffix to the singular noun form, as in
one lip ~ two lips
one hug ~ two hugs
one kiss ~ two kisses
This rule applies to all nouns that aren't pronouns. The plural suffix is usually spelled -s or -es, though there are exceptions (more than you probably ever wanted to know about English plurals). It has three spoken forms, distributed according to the following rules.one hug ~ two hugs
one kiss ~ two kisses
- Add /s/, as in lips, if the (singular form of the) noun ends with one of the following sounds (don't go by spelling!): lip, lick, kit, cliff, myth.
- Add /Iz/ (or /əz/), as in kisses, if the nouns ends with one of the following sounds: kiss, fish, witch, quiz, rouge, fridge.
- Add /z/, as in hugs, if the noun ends with a sound not listed above.
So for example, instead of - Add /Iz/ (or /əz/), as in kisses, if the nouns ends with one of the following sounds: kiss, fish, witch, quiz, rouge, fridge.
- Add /z/, as in hugs, if the noun ends with a sound not listed above.
one mouse ~ two mice
one tooth ~ two teeth
one wolf ~ two wolves
one sheep ~ two sheep
one deer ~ two deer
one ox ~ two oxen
one child ~ two children
one person ~ two people
one nucleus ~ two nuclei
one phenomenon ~ two phenomena
one formula ~ two formulae
you haveone tooth ~ two teeth
one wolf ~ two wolves
one sheep ~ two sheep
one deer ~ two deer
one ox ~ two oxen
one child ~ two children
one person ~ two people
one nucleus ~ two nuclei
one phenomenon ~ two phenomena
one formula ~ two formulae
one mouse ~ two mouses
one tooth ~ two tooths
one wolf ~ two wolfs
one sheep ~ two sheeps
one deer ~ two deers
one ox ~ two oxes
one child ~ two childs
one person ~ two persons
one nucleus ~ two nucleuses
one phenomenon ~ two phenomenons
one formula ~ two formulas
What do you think? Sound simpler? You can find lists of irregular plurals by googling combos of irregular, plural, noun, list. analysises has caught my eye/ear already. Does this group bother anyone else? one tooth ~ two tooths
one wolf ~ two wolfs
one sheep ~ two sheeps
one deer ~ two deers
one ox ~ two oxes
one child ~ two childs
one person ~ two persons
one nucleus ~ two nucleuses
one phenomenon ~ two phenomenons
one formula ~ two formulas
axis, analysis, basis, crisis, diagnosis, ellipsis, hypothesis, oasis, paralysis, parenthesis, synthesis, synopsis, thesis.
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