[uni, linguistics, english, languages, public post]
Once again, it's CLASS TIME.
Question:
"In Modern English, the plural form is '-s' {with its three allomorphs}. Older English had a lot more plural forms. Many of the nouns that their plural today is -s had a different plural form {exceptions: ox : oxen, child : children}. The word 'brother' in English has two plural forms: brothers and brethren. Discuss the case according to what was said in class."
Answer:
"'Brothers' and 'brethren' today have different semantic meanings. 'Brothers' refers to blood brothers, while 'brethren' refers to members of the same organisation {mostly religious}. That's the reason both forms an co-exist -- they don't contradict each other.
{It's amusing to consider that the form 'brethren' is the older form, and that it refers mostly to religious organisations. Back then, the Church and its different equivalents were the educated population and well-acquainted with texts. It might mean that they fought the current in order to preserve the 'en' plural out of linguistic conservatism, and the result was that those same organisations were recognised as 'brethren', while one's male children of his parents became 'brothers'.}"
My inner sarcastic geek just came out to play. :D
|Meduza|
Question:
"In Modern English, the plural form is '-s' {with its three allomorphs}. Older English had a lot more plural forms. Many of the nouns that their plural today is -s had a different plural form {exceptions: ox : oxen, child : children}. The word 'brother' in English has two plural forms: brothers and brethren. Discuss the case according to what was said in class."
Answer:
"'Brothers' and 'brethren' today have different semantic meanings. 'Brothers' refers to blood brothers, while 'brethren' refers to members of the same organisation {mostly religious}. That's the reason both forms an co-exist -- they don't contradict each other.
{It's amusing to consider that the form 'brethren' is the older form, and that it refers mostly to religious organisations. Back then, the Church and its different equivalents were the educated population and well-acquainted with texts. It might mean that they fought the current in order to preserve the 'en' plural out of linguistic conservatism, and the result was that those same organisations were recognised as 'brethren', while one's male children of his parents became 'brothers'.}"
My inner sarcastic geek just came out to play. :D
|Meduza|