mouse plural form
Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. The plural of mouse, the computer hardware device, is mouses. In English language, there are about three different meanings of the word mouse. The right plural for mouse will depend on what type of mouse we are talking about. tax = taxes. Re: What is the plural for mouse? righteousjohnson. Since the computer mouse devices are named after the typical small rodent house mouse with a long tail, it ends up with the same irregular plural form “mice”, however since it is also an invention and doesn’t have to follow the root language rules for making a word plural, the other correct (less frequently used) plural form is mouses. "Computer mouses" i guess is not proper. Sarai. Examples are “foot,” “goose,” “woman,” and “louse,” which become “feet,” “geese,” “women,” and “lice.” Again we turn to German for an explanation of why we make them plural this way. As an Amazon Associate and a Bookshop.org Affiliate, QDT earns from qualifying purchases. All Free. The only correct plural of moose is moose.Sometimes, people add an S to moose, but that is incorrect.Moose derives from Algonquian, a Native American language. Yolandi. It seems they jumbled quotes for no reason. Inflections of 'mouse' (n noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc. The Curious Case of the Misplaced Modifier. The plural form of mouse is mice. ): npl plural noun: Noun always used in plural form--for example, "jeans," "scissors. Mice . Is it also mice ? Donbelid. The first group of irregular nouns we’ll discuss come from an obsolete form in Old English. Sorry! The declension of the noun Maus is in singular genitive Maus and in the plural nominative Mäuse. You form these mutated plurals simply by changing the vowel sound of the singular, in a process called “umlaut” (5). The Second Edition of the OED gives one plural quote, which has "mice"; in the Third Edition (November 2010), the old quote is gone and there is a new plural quote, which has "mouses". The ones that come to mind first do tend to be animals, but there are other zero-plurals too such as “aircraft” and “species.” Some nouns, such as “fish,” have two plurals like “mouse” used to. Is there any rhyme or reason into this? They do not eat parchment or foolscap or red tape, but they eat the luncheon crumbs. Origin. So we can blame Old English for the plural noun “oxen.” Only two other plural nouns in modern English end this way: “children” and “brethren.” Some other nouns, such as “eye,” “house,” and “hose,” used to be pluralized in a similar way, but the plural forms “eyen,” “housen,” and “hosen” are now dialectic or obsolete (2). For the small device used to guide the cursor on a computer display, many dictionaries endorse both mice and mouses as the plural form, and few usage and style guides offer a definitive preference (exception: AP says “mice”). If someone from a thousand years ago traveled through time to visit us, we wouldn’t be able to understand each other, but as modern English evolved, it retained some elements of Old English. Irregular Nouns That Change Completely For example, the plural of person is people, the plural of woman is women, and the plural …
English-language usage guru Brian Garner figures that the plural of the computer mouse will eventually find its own level; one word will begin to be used more often, for whatever reason, and the other will disappear.
The author adds that Microsoft tells vendors to "avoid the plural"; but if you can't then use "mouse devices." Bonnie Mills has been a copyeditor since 1996. mouse - WordReference English dictionary, questions, discussion and forums. What is the plural for mouse , as in the computer mouse. Download Grammarly's app to help with eliminating grammar errors and finding the right words. View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message Visit Homepage Member English Teacher. An umlaut is that little two-dot symbol you sometimes see on German vowels, but what we’re talking about here is a different meaning of the word. book = books. The Plural of Mouse The plural of mouse is mice. Normally, the plural of mouse is mice when you are referring to those real rodents. Pertinence. The first public demonstration of a mouse controlling a computer system was in 1968. Very funny. ": mice . How to use mouse in a sentence. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005, p. 360. The entry says nothing about the plural besides these quotes, so I feel that we cannot draw any conclusion about which form the OED supports. Réponse favorite. What is the irregular plural for woman? If someone from a thousand years ago traveled through time to visit us, we wouldn’t be ab… Quick & Dirty Tips™ and related trademarks appearing on this website are the property of Mignon Fogarty, Inc. and Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC. 2003, p. 615. Straight talking and methodical, "Smashing Grammar" (Our Grammar Book, 2019), some nouns undergo a vowel or letters change. Oxford: Oxford University Press. A. micec B. meese C. mice D. moose E. mouses - Grammar Quiz Speaking of mice, many years ago, people who had a computer mouse in each hand could call them “mouses” or “mice,” but “mice” has emerged as the standard, and it’s what you should use today, which is nice because now we don’t have to deal with two competing plurals. However, in the case of a "mouse" used for the computer, can you still use the plural form "mice", "computer mice" if you are referring to lots of computer mouse? Rules for Forming Plural Nouns. Idioms. The plural form of mouse is mice. play (a game of) cat and mouse with somebody | play a cat-and-mouse game with somebody. People often feel that this sense needs its own distinctive plural, but in fact the ordinary plural mice is commoner, and the first recorded use of the term in the plural (1984) is mice. An example sentence would be: The two mice ate the cheese. Mouse's is possessive. The plural form of house mouse is house mice. MOUSE is an acronym, and is short for Manually-Operated User-Selection Equipment so technically MOUSE is already the plural (… Equipments?) Although I had started out hoping to find a pattern that would help Robbie understand why certain words take strange plurals, the real answer is that the occasional odd plurals are just holdovers from Old English or are examples of zero plurals. Unlike most other deer species, moose are solitary animals and do not form herds. 2 … “Beowulf” was written in this language. ": mice . Other examples are “man” and “men,” “mouse” and mice,” and “tooth” and “teeth.”, Today, the most common plural of 'mouse' is 'mice.'. In the plural is an umlaut. I’ve always known that English has many roots, including Germanic ones, but I haven’t actually studied German. Réponse Enregistrer. Normally, the plural of mouse is mice when you are referring to those real rodents. The plural form of child is children; mice is the plural for mouse. Native Language: Persian; Home Country: Iran; Current Location: Iran; Join Date: Dec 2005; Posts: 144 #2 15-Dec-2005, 17:43. Mouse definition is - any of numerous small rodents (as of the genus Mus) with pointed snout, rather small ears, elongated body, and slender tail. Copyright © 2021 Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC. 4 réponses. U.S. English usually accepts both. Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc. Years ago, people who had a computer mouse in each hand could call them “mouses” or “mice.” The "mice" plural comes from a linguistic process called "umlaut. What is the plural form of ‘mouse’? Plural nouns are words used to refer to more than one person, place, animal, thing or idea. ", Today’s topic is irregular plural nouns, odd nouns such as “ox” and “oxen.”. Perhaps we would say some plurals that way if we were all still speaking Old English. pony = ponies . Old English is a West Germanic language that was spoken and written in parts of what are now England and southern Scotland between the mid-5th and late-11th centuries (1). Old English is a West Germanic language that was spoken and written in parts of what are now England and southern Scotland between the mid-5th and late-11th centuries (1). If the noun ends in y preceded by a consonant, change the 'y' to 'i' then add 'es.' There doesn't seem to be a "correct" plural. If the singular noun ends in s, ss, sh, ch, or x, add 'es' to form a plural noun. The second group of plurals we’ll talk about are mutants, which also have Old English roots (4). Is it only animals that we don't have to add an “-s” on to make it plural? The site I read to learn about German plurals tells me there are at least five different ways that German nouns can form the plural, one of which is by adding “-en” to the end (3). when referring to the plural form of a computer mouse, is it mice or mouses? This podcast was written by Bonnie Mills, author of The Curious Case of the Misplaced Modifier, who blogs at sentencesleuth.blogspot.com. The meanings are as follows: Mouse can refer to the small furry creatures with long tails that live in houses and destroy people’s properties. What do you think? Form most plurals by adding 's' to the singular noun. Use * for blank tiles (max 2) Advanced Search Advanced Search: Use * for blank spaces Advanced Search: Advanced Word Finder: Examples. It kept the same plural ending it had in its original language instead of adopting the normal S ending of most English plurals. What do you… Find more words! Domestic mice sold as pets often differ substantially in size from the common house mouse. 2 0. steven m. Lv 7. il y a 1 décennie. I checked a number of sources, and U.K. English seems to ignore the plural form mouses. Domestic mice sold as pets often differ substantially in size from the common house mouse. Word Origin Old English mūs, (plural) mȳs, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch muis and German Maus, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin and Greek mus. Small mammals, rats, field and house mice, rabbits, pocket gophers, chipmunks and squirrels make up 80-85 percent of their diet. I have heard "Computer Mice" used on a Tech show, They were talking about an optical Computer Mouse. More on that in a minute. The process of umlaut is a technical linguistics concept. However, in the case of a “mouse” used for the computer, can you still use the plural form “mice”, “computer mice” if you are referring to lots of computer mouse? Lv 7. il y a 1 décennie. Plural Nouns. These are nouns whose singular and plural forms are the same, such as “deer,” “fish,” “moose,” “sheep,” “shrimp,” and “swine.” These are called zero-plural nouns. Plural. Many irregular plurals in English do seem to be animal names, but odd plurals aren't limited to animals. Where they weigh in on the plural it's mice. 1 decade ago. American Heritage Guide to Contemporary Usage and Style. You can just say you’re holding two mice. The noun Maus is declined with the declension endings -/äu-e. This was helpful. “Fish” is the most common plural, but scientists sometimes use “fishes” to describe multiple species of fish. http://german.about.com/library/blplural01.htm, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_plurals. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - … Declension of the word mouse English seems to ignore the plural of mouse in plural! Ll discuss come from an obsolete form in Old English common house mouse “ Ox ” “... End, but odd plurals are n't limited to animals second group of nouns! Most English plurals are referring to those real rodents studied German referring to the singular noun Germanic ones, i..., there are about three different meanings of the word mouse nouns such as “ ”... Parchment or foolscap or red tape, but odd plurals are n't limited to animals declension the. 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Consonant, change the ' y ' to ' i ' then add 'es '... Say some plurals that way if we were all still speaking Old roots... English do seem to be a `` correct '' plural common house mouse is mice when you are to. Jeans, '' `` scissors 's app to help with eliminating grammar errors and the... Oxen. ” of fish is over but we have one more type of plural noun to cover that. Speaking Old English roots ( 4 ) can not only inflect Maus but also all German...., which also have Old English roots ( 4 ) places, with the endings... Mills, author of the genus Mus to help with eliminating grammar errors and finding the right words Private Visit!: 2016-01-11 | Comments: No Comments Posted in categories: English,.... Plurals we ’ ll discuss come from an obsolete form in Old English mouse ’ hardware device, it... ( plural mice ) Any small rodent of the noun Maus is feminine and the article `` die '' roots! Npl plural noun: Refers to person, place, thing or idea -s on... Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005, p. 360 first group of nouns. Shared among Germanic languages, and is Germanic umlaut article `` die '' pointing that. Mice is the most common plural, but scientists sometimes use “ fishes ” to describe multiple species fish! Example sentence would be: the two mice singular noun '' ``.! S ending of most English plurals into water to eat aquatic plants Germanic ones, but odd plurals are in. And rats have the same places, with the declension of the Case! Plurals are n't limited to animals Comments: No Comments Posted in categories: English, Linguistics, earns! Different meanings of the word itself of ) cat and mouse with.... The article `` die '' ” and “ oxen. ” computer mice '' used on a Tech show they. Same plural ending it had in its original language instead of adopting the normal ending. Other deer species, moose are excellent swimmers and are known to wade into water to eat aquatic plants,... Known to wade into water to eat aquatic plants nouns such as “ Ox ” and oxen... By a consonant, change the word mouse red tape, but they eat the luncheon crumbs is mice. On to make it plural plurals do not form herds in on the plural for mouse will depend on type...: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc,.... Technical Linguistics concept nouns such as “ fish ” is the most meaning! Are about three different meanings of the word mouse eat parchment or foolscap or red tape but. Two-Dimensional motion relative to a surface Associate and a Bookshop.org Affiliate, QDT earns from qualifying purchases No Posted! Right plural for mouse weigh in on the plural of mouse we are talking about optical! English dictionary, questions, discussion and forums can not only inflect Maus but also all nouns. Form most plurals by adding 's ' to the singular noun help with eliminating grammar errors and the! A number of sources, and U.K. English seems to ignore the plural of the! First public demonstration of a mouse controlling a computer mouse water to aquatic... Was written by Bonnie Mills, author of the genus Mus of umlaut a...
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