6

reader of the sentence under II would naturally ask, "Why Woman's' and not 'Man's'?" or "Why 'Men's' and not Women's'?"

In determining the number of a noun, pay attention to meaning

rather than to form.

EXERCISE XVIII

Discuss the number of each word within quotationmarks:

1. As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good "news" from a far country. - PROVERBS XXV. 25.

2. A man is taken aback suddenly by "tidings" such as these.

TROLLOPE.

3. And for my "means," I'll husband them so well,

They shall go far with little. - SHAKSPERE.1

4. The conditions of American life, too, were such that young men looked upon scholarship neither as an end nor as a “means. - LOWELL. 5. I have... visited Honolulu, where "politics" are (if possible) a shade more exasperating than they are with us. — STEVENSON.

6. I always held . . . that "politics" was the dirtiest, the most foolish, and the most random of human employments. - STEVENSON.

7. "Gymnastics" are used with success in institutions for the cure of inebriates. - AMERICAN NEWSPAPER.

8. I have served your worship truly, sir, "this" eight years. SHAKSPERE.2

9. "These" fifteen years you have been in a dream. SHAKSPERE. 3 10. I hear that Wall is to have another "innings."— HUXLEY.

11.

The "odds"

Is that we scarce are men and you are gods. - SHAKSPERE.

EXERCISE XIX

4

Which word is preferable, that in parenthesis or that which precedes?

1. Such gymnastics do (does) not interest me.

2. Our last news were (was) that he had escaped from Bristol.

1 Hamlet, iv. 5.

The Taming of the Shrew, Induction 2.

22 Henry IV, v. 1.
4 Cymbeline, v. 2.

3. Tidings was (were) brought of the massacre on Snake River. 4. The widow's means was (were) at first large, but it was (they were) soon exhausted by the prodigality of her son.

5. The assets of the company are (is) $167,000.

6. The dregs in the cup was (were) found to be very bitter.

7. The eaves of the new house are (is) ten feet above the ground. 8. In many schools, athletics are (is) run into the ground.

9. The nuptials of Gratiano and Nerissa were (was) celebrated at the same time as those (that) of Bassanio and Portia.

10. Ethics are (is) becoming more and more prominent in the discussions of political economists.

11. The proceeds was (were) given to the hospital.

12. His riches took to themselves (itself) wings.

13. This (these) scissors is (are) sharp.

14. Please pour this (these) suds on the rose plants.

15. An old man who had travelled a great way (ways) found him. self so weary that he called upon death to deliver him.

16. I shall be at home the second and third days (day) of the month.

EXERCISE XX

Correct errors in the use of the singular or the plural; give your reason for each correction:

1. A little ways up the road you will see a guide-post.

2. Twenty bellowses were all he had.

3. The news were now almost current in Barchester.

4. The people make use of a hollow cane instead of a bellows. 5. It is a mistake to think that the German works for a low wage;

he is as anxious for a high wage as any Celt.

6. Carp did not know why men carry a lady's glove in their pocket. 7. The Author's Club enjoyed one of Colonel Higginson's inimitable after-dinner speeches.

8. I am connected with many Ladies' Aids and Woman's Guilds.

Nouns of Foreign Origin. Many nouns of foreign origin have been adopted in the singular number without change. Some of these have foreign plurals only, others English plurals only, others both foreign and English plurals. Unless such a noun is known in all its forms, it is likely to be misused.

I

II

The tableau was beautiful.

66

The tableaux was beautiful.

“Tableau" has been adopted into English with the French plural, “ tableaux.” Beau" has a French plural, beaux,” and an English plural, “beaus.”

66

I

The captive told the bandit that he was too young to be engaged in such a calling.

II

The captive told the banditti that he was too young to be engaged in such a calling.

"Bandit" (from the Italian "bandito ") has an English plural, “bandits," and a corrupted Italian plural, “banditti." Of these, "banditti" is usually preferred.

1

I

I am sorry to say that I am not an alumnus of this university.

II

I am sorry to say that I am not an alumni of this university.

Alumnus,” a Latin masculine form, has a Latin plural, "alumni." The feminine forms of this word are "alumna" for the singular, "alumnæ" for the plural.

I

Here was the terminus of the

road.

II

Here was the termini of the road.

66

"Terminus," a Latin masculine form, has a Latin plural, "termini." "Bacillus" has a Latin plural, "bacilli.' "Focus," "fungus," "radius," have both Latin and English plurals, "foci," "focuses," etc.; the Latin are "Crocus," usually preferred. hippopotamus," "syllabus," have both Latin and English plurals, “croci," "crocuses," etc.; the English are usually preferred. "Prospectus" and "rhinoceros" have English plurals only, "prospectuses," "rhinoceroses." Genius" mean

66

ing a person of genius has an English plural, "geniuses"; meaning a spirit, it has a Latin plural, "genii.” “Apparatus" has a Latin plural, “apparatus," and an English plural, “apparatuses"; the English is preferred.

1 For the full history of this word, see the Oxford English Dictionary.

not a Latin substantive, but a form of a Latin verb; it means literally "we are ignorant.' It has a regular English plural, "ignoramuses.

"Vertebra," a Latin feminine form, has a Latin plural, "vertebræ." "Formula" has a Latin plural, "formulæ," and an English plural, "formulas." "Panacea" has an English plural, “panaceas.

"Analysis," "crisis," "hypothesis," "oasis," "parenthesis," 66 'synthesis,' "thesis," have Latin plurals, "analyses, "crises," etc.

"Addendum," "bacterium," "curriculum" "datum,' "dictum," "erratum," "memorandum," "stratum," Latin neuter forms, have Latin plurals in "a," "addenda," "bacteria," etc.; some of them have also regular English plurals, but these are rarely used. "Arcanum" and "maximum" have Latin plurals in "a," "arcana," "maxima"; "fulcrum," " medium," "momentum," "ultimatum," have both Latin and English plurals, "fulcra," "fulcrums," "media," "mediums," etc.; "encomium,' "modicum,' "nostrum," have English plurals only, "encomiums,” 1 modicums," "nostrums."

66

“Genus,” another Latin neuter form, has a Latin plural, "genera." "Stamen meaning the stamen of a flower has an English plural, "stamens"; meaning a warpthread, it has a Latin plural, "stamina," which is also used (commonly as a plural, but sometimes as a singular) to signify vigor or tone, as "mental stamina."

"Saturnalia" is a neuter plural form adopted from the Latin, but it is sometimes used as a singular. "Insignia and "paraphernalia" are also neuter plural forms, and are always used as plurals.

I

The water is full of animalcules.

II

The water is full of animalculæ.

There is no such word as animalculæ. The Latin form, which is in scientific use, is "animalculum," with plural “animalcula.” The English form is "animalcule," with plural "animalcules."

I

This is a remarkable phenomenon, especially for the middle of

summer.

II

This is a remarkable phenomena, especially for the middle of summer.

"Phenomenon," from a Greek neuter form, has a plural formed on the Greek model, "phenomena." "Autom

1 A Latin plural, "encomia," was once in good use; but it is nearly obsolete. HILL'S RHET. AND COMP. - 5