Several nouns appear as plural in Shakespearean English which are singular in modern English, and there are other kinds of number difference, as illustrated in the selection below. Plurality may be shown both by the form of the word (as in modern boy > boys) or by its agreement with the verb or determiner (as in this sheep is > these sheep are).
The Shakespearean situation is complicated by the existence of forms which might reflect a personal or regional dialect, as well as by usages which may be the result of printing errors. |
Examples include Shylock’s use of beefs and muttons and the various plurals used by speakers with a Welsh background, such as disparagements ( WELSH). Examples of the reverse process (singular > plural) can also be found, as in ‘their business still lies out o’door’ (CE II.i.11) alongside ‘out of doors’ (Cor I.iii.72), and ‘conquer other by the dint of sword’ (E3 V.i.52), where modern usage whould use others. |
Shakespearean plural > Modern singular
| Item |
Location |
Example |
Modern use |
| attires |
AC V.ii.228 |
Go fetch / My best attires |
attire |
| beefs |
2H4 III.ii.316 |
now has he land and beefs |
beef |
| behalfs |
TNK II.ii.53 |
in our behalfs |
behalf |
| behaviours |
JC I.ii.42 |
Which give some soil ... to my behaviours |
behaviour |
| companies |
Ham II.ii.14 |
by your companies / To draw him on to pleasures |
company |
| courages |
Cym II.iv.24 |
Now wing-led with their courages |
courage |
| funerals |
JC V.iii.105 |
His funerals shall not be in our camp |
funeral |
| informations |
H8 V.iii.110 |
In seeking tales and informations |
information |
| kindreds |
TNK II.i.62 |
Where are our friends and kindreds? |
kindred |
| moneys |
MV I.iii.105 |
you have rated me / About my moneys |
money |
| musics |
Cym II.iii.38 |
I have assailed her with musics |
music |
| muttons |
MV I.iii.164 |
flesh of muttons, beefs, or goats |
mutton |
| revenges |
Mac V.ii.3 |
Revenges burn in them |
revenge |
| sheeps |
LLL II.i.205 |
Two hot sheeps, marry? |
sheep |
| thunders |
Mac I.ii.26 |
Shipwracking storms and direful thunders |
thunder |
Shakespearean both singular and plural > Modern either singular or plural
| Item |
Location |
Example |
Modern use |
| news |
1H6 I.i.67 |
These news would cause him once more yield the ghost [plural] |
this news [singular] |
| news |
1H4 I.i.58 |
the news was told [singular] |
this news [singular] |
| nuptials |
MND I.i.125 |
I must employ you in some business / Against our nuptial [singular] |
our nuptials [plural] |
| nuptials |
Per V.iii.80 |
We’ll celebrate their nuptials [plural] |
our nuptials [plural] |
| odds |
R2 III.iv.89 |
with that odds he weighs King Richard down [singular] |
those odds [plural] |
| odds |
MM III.i.41 |
death we fear, / That makes these odds all even [plural] |
those odds [plural] |
| riches |
Sonn 87.6 |
for that riches where is my deserving? [singular] |
those riches [plural] |
| riches |
Tim IV.ii.32 |
riches point to misery and contempt [plural] |
those riches [plural] |
| tidings |
R2 III.iv.80 |
how / Camest thou by this ill tidings [singular] |
these tidings [plural] |
| tidings |
KJ IV.ii.132 |
Thou hast made me giddy / With these ill tidings [plural] |
these tidings [plural] |
| victuals |
MA I.i.46 |
You had musty victual [singular] |
victuals [plural] |
| victuals |
Cym III.vii.13 |
it eats our victuals [plural] |
victuals [plural] |
Shakespearean double plurals > Modern plural
| Item |
Location |
Example |
Modern use |
| gallowses |
Cym V.iv.207 |
there were desolation of gaolers and gallowses |
gallows |
| teeths |
JC V.i.41 |
You showed your teethes like apes [F] |
teeth |
For archaic plurals, ARCHAISMS