Editing Singulative number (section)

== Examples ==
===Welsh===
[[Welsh language|Welsh]] has two systems of grammatical number, singular–plural and collective–singulative. Since the loss of the noun [[inflection]] system of earlier [[Celtic languages|Celtic]], plurals have become unpredictable and can be formed in several ways: by adding a [[suffix]] to the end of the word (most commonly {{lang|cy|-au}}), as in {{lang|cy|tad}} "father" and {{lang|cy|tadau}} "fathers", through [[Affection (linguistics)|vowel affection]], as in {{lang|cy|bachgen}} "boy" and {{lang|cy|bechgyn}} "boys", or through a combination of the two, as in {{lang|cy|chwaer}} "sister" and {{lang|cy|chwiorydd}} "sisters". Other nouns take the singulative suffixes {{lang|cy|-yn}} (for masculine nouns) or {{lang|cy|-en}} (for feminine nouns). Most nouns which inflect according to this system designate objects that are frequently found in groups, for example {{lang|cy|adar}} "birds/flock of birds", {{lang|cy|aderyn}} "bird"; {{lang|cy|mefus}} "a bed of strawberries", {{lang|cy|mefusen}} "a strawberry"; {{lang|cy|plant}} "children", {{lang|cy|plentyn}} "a child"; and {{lang|cy|coed}} "forest", {{lang|cy|coeden}} "a tree".  Still other nouns use suffixes for both singular and plural forms (e.g. {{lang|cy|merlen}} "a pony", {{lang|cy|merlod}} "ponies", the unsuffixed *{{lang|cy|merl}} does not exist); these are similar to nouns formed from other categories of words (e.g. {{lang|cy|cardod}} "charity" gives rise to {{lang|cy|cardotyn}} "a beggar" and {{lang|cy|cardotwyr}} "beggars").

When translating the Welsh collective noun into English the plural is usually used, e.g. {{lang|cy|mefus}} → 'strawberries'. However, the Welsh collective also has a sense of a homogenous whole which the English plural cannot convey; compare the English 'foliage' vs. 'leaves'.

===Other languages===
Singulatives are featured in some [[Semitic languages|Semitic]] and [[Slavic languages|Slavic]] languages.<ref name=s47/>

In [[Arabic grammar]], the singulative is called {{lang|ar|اسم الوحدة}}, "noun of unity". It is formed by the suffixes:
# {{lang|ar|ة}} -''a(t)'', applies to animals, plants, and inanimate objects<ref>{{cite book |last=Wright
|first=William
|author1-link=William Wright (orientalist)
|title=''A Grammar of the Arabic language''
|volume=2
|year=1862
|publisher=Cambridge University Press
|isbn=1-84356-028-3
|page=147}}</ref>
# {{lang|ar|ي}} -''ī'', applies to sentient beings

{{columns-start}}
{| {{table}}
|+ suffix {{lang|ar|ة}} -''a(t)''
! collective
! singulative
|-
| {{lang|ar|قمح}} {{ns}} {{Transliteration|ar|qamḥ}}<br> "wheat"
| {{lang|ar|قمحة}} {{ns}} {{Transliteration|ar|qamḥa(t)}}<br> "a grain of wheat"
|-
| {{lang|ar|شجر}} {{ns}} {{Transliteration|ar|shajar}}<br> "trees"
| {{lang|ar|شجرة}} {{ns}} {{Transliteration|ar|shajara(t)}}<br> "a tree"
|-
| {{lang|ar|بقر}} {{ns}} {{Transliteration|ar|baqar}}<br> "cattle"
| {{lang|ar|بقرة}} {{ns}} {{Transliteration|ar|baqara(t)}}<br> "a cow"
|}
{{column}}
{| {{table}}
|+ suffix {{lang|ar|ي}} -''ī''
! collective
! singulative
|-
| {{lang|ar|جن}} {{ns}} {{Transliteration|ar|[[jinn]]}}
| {{lang|ar|جني}} {{ns}} {{Transliteration|ar|jinnī}}
|-
| {{lang|ar|زنج}} {{ns}} {{Transliteration|ar|zinj}}<br>"black African people"
| {{lang|ar|زنجى}} {{ns}} {{Transliteration|ar|zinjī}}<br>"a black African person"
|}
{{columns-end}}

In some cases, the singulative has a further plural indicating a collection of the singular units, which may be [[broken plural|broken]] or regular.

{| {{table}}
! [[broken plural|broken]]
| {{lang|ar|جند}} {{ns}} {{Transliteration|ar|jund}}<br> 'army'
| {{lang|ar|جندي}} {{ns}} {{Transliteration|ar|jundī}}<br> 'a soldier'
| {{lang|ar|جنود}} {{ns}} {{Transliteration|ar|junūd}}<br>  'soldiers'
|-
! regular
| {{lang|ar|عسكر}} {{ns}} {{Transliteration|ar|`askar}}<br> 'army, military'
| {{lang|ar|عسكري}} {{ns}} {{Transliteration|ar|`askarī}}<br> 'a soldier, private, or enlisted man'
| {{lang|ar|عسكريون}} {{ns}} {{Transliteration|ar|`askarīyūn}}<br> 'soldiers, privates, enlisted men'
|}

In [[East Slavic languages]], which are basically of singular–plural system, the singular suffix -ин- ('-in-', Russian, '-yn-', Ukrainian), resp. '-ін-' ('-in-', Belarusian)  performs the singulative function for collective nouns.<ref name=s47>[https://books.google.com/books?id=VwY-4QzbtmIC&pg=PA47 p 47]</ref>

{| {{table}}
!
! collective
! singulative
|-
! Russian
| {{wikt-lang|ru|горох}}, {{ns}} {{Transliteration|ru|gorokh}} <br>"[[pea]]s in mass"
| {{wikt-lang|ru|горошина}}, {{ns}} {{Transliteration|ru|goroshina}} <br>"a single pea"
|-
! Ukrainian
| {{wikt-lang|uk|пісок}}, {{ns}} {{Transliteration|uk|pisok}} <br>"[[sand]]"
| {{wikt-lang|uk|піщина}}, {{ns}} {{Transliteration|uk|pischyna}} <br>"grain of sand"<ref name=s47/>
|-
! Belarusian
| {{wikt-lang|be|бульба}}, {{ns}} {{Transliteration|be|buĺba}} <br>"[[potato]]es in mass", e.g. as a crop or as a species
| {{wikt-lang|be|бульбіна}}, {{ns}} {{Transliteration|be|buĺbina}} <br>"one potato [[tuber]]"
|}

Notice the affix '-a' in all these examples, which  indicates the feminine form. Notice also that plural forms may be derived from these singulatives in a regular way: ''goroshina''->''goroshiny'' (several peas), etc.

In both East Slavic and Arabic, the singulative form always takes on the feminine [[Grammatical gender|gender]].{{Clarify|reason=Already the example زنجى ''zinjī'' 'a black African person' given above is a counterexample.|date=June 2012}} {{Citation needed|date=March 2018}}

Singulative markers are found throughout the [[Nilo-Saharan languages]]. [[Majang language|Majang]], for example, has:
{{interlinear|indent=2|c1=(Bender 1983:124)|ŋɛɛti → ŋɛɛti-n|lice.COL {} louse.SGV|}}

In Dutch, singulative forms of collective nouns are occasionally made by diminutives:
{{interlinear|indent=2|snoep → snoepje|{"sweets, candy"} {} {"sweet, piece of candy"}|}}
These singulatives can be pluralized like most other nouns: ''snoepjes'' "several sweets, pieces of candy".{{Citation needed|date=March 2018}}