Editing Singulative number (section)

===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'.