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Nouns expressive of whatever nature or art has made double or plural have no singular, as, bowels, lungs, scissors, ashes, bellows.

Nouns ending in y impure form their plural by changing y into ies, as quality, qualities.

Nouns purely Latin, Greek, Hebrew, French, &c., retain their original plurals.

Sing. Pl. Lat. Arcanum Arcana Fr. Beau Beaux Lat. Erratum Errata Fr. Monsieur Messieurs, Messrs. Heb. Cherub Cherubim Heb. Seraph Seraphim Lat. Magus Magi Gr. Phenomenon Phenomena Lat. Stratum Strata Gr. Automaton Automata Lat. Vortex Vortices Lat. Radius Radii Lat. Genus Genera Gr. Crisis Crises Gr. Emphasis Emphases Gr. Hypothesis Hypotheses Lat. Genius Genii,

when denoting aërial spirits; but when signifying men of genius, or employed to express the plural of that combination of mental qualities which constitutes genius, it follows the general rule.

A proper name has a plural number when it becomes the name of more individuals than one, as, the two Scipios; the twelve Cæsars. It is to be observed, however, that it ceases then to be, strictly speaking, a proper name.