Plurale tantum

A plurale tantum is a noun that only occurs in the plural.

Term properties

The plural of plurale tantum is pluralia tantum (see section "Origin").

Examples

Examples of English pluralia tantum are trousers, scissors, scales.

Origin

Tantum is from Latin and means 'only', and plurale is the Latin form of plural. So plurale tantum is originally a Latin phrase meaning 'plural only'. The Latin plural of plurale is pluralia.

See also

• duale tantum
• reciprocum tantum

Reference

• Vraciu, Ariton. 1976. Considérations sur l'emploi des noms pluralia tantum dans les langues baltiques, slaves et finno-ougriennes. Acta Baltico-Slavica 9: 27-37. (Wrocław)