Editing Grammatical number (section)

==Number in specific languages==
===Basque===
[[Basque language|Basque]] declension has four grammatical numbers: indefinite, definite singular, definite plural, and definite close plural:

* The '''indefinite''' is used after the question words {{lang|eu|Zer?}} ("What?"), {{lang|eu|Zein?}} ("Which?") and {{lang|eu|Zenbat?}} ("How much? / How many?"), after indefinite numerals, such as {{lang|eu|zenbait}} ("some"), {{lang|eu|hainbat}} ("several"), {{lang|eu|honenbeste / horrenbeste / hainbeste}} ("so many / so much"), {{lang|eu|bezainbeste}} ("as much as / as many as"), and before {{lang|eu|asko}}, {{lang|eu|anitz}} (this one can go before nouns), {{lang|eu|ugari}}, {{lang|eu|pilo bat}}, {{lang|eu|mordo bat}}, after {{lang|eu|makina bat}} ("much, many, a lot, lots of, plenty of..."), before {{lang|eu|gutxi}} ("a few, little") and {{lang|eu|batzuk}} ("some"), and the numbers, if they do not refer to a defined amount: {{lang|eu|'''Zer etxe''' eraberritu duzu?}} ("What house[s] have you renewed?"), {{lang|eu|'''Zer etxe''' eraberritu dituzu?}} ("What houses have you renewed?"). {{lang|eu|'''Zein''' etxe'''tan''' bizi zinen?}} ("In what house[s] were you living?"). {{lang|eu|'''Zenbat''' etxe dituzu?}} ("How many houses have you got?"). {{lang|eu|Lapurrak '''hainbat''' etxe'''tan''' sartu dira}} ("The thieves have broken into a number of houses"). {{lang|eu|Lapurra '''hainbeste''' etxe'''tan''' sartu da!}} ("The thief has broken into so many houses!").

A noun followed by an adjective or a demonstrative is in the absolutive case, and the last word in the phrase is declined:
{{lang|eu|Etxe'''a'''}} ("The house / House"). {{lang|eu|Etxe '''bat'''}} ("A house"). {{lang|eu|Etxe '''handi bat'''}} ("A big house"). {{lang|eu|Etxe '''handi batean'''}} ("In a big house"). {{lang|eu|Etxe '''handi hori'''}} ("That big house"). {{lang|eu|Etxe '''zuri handi horretan'''}} ("In that big white house").

If the amount is known, the plural grammatical numbers are used: {{lang|eu|Lapurrak '''bi''' etxe'''tan''' sartu dira}} ("The thieves have broken in two houses" [indefinite: the houses are unknown to the speakers]). {{lang|eu|Lapurrak '''bizpahiru''' etxe'''tan''' sartu dira}} ("The thieves have broken in two or three houses" [indefinite: the speakers does not know the exact amount of houses]). {{lang|eu|Lapurrak '''bi''' etxe'''etan''' sartu dira}} ("The thieves have broken in both houses" [definite plural: both are known to the speakers]). {{lang|eu|Lapurrak '''bi''' etxe'''otan''' sartu dira}} ("The thieves have broken in these two houses" [definite close plural: both are being shown by the speaker]).

The indefinite is also used in some idioms and set phrases: {{lang|eu|Egun '''on'''!}} ("Good day! / Good morning!"), {{lang|eu|'''On''' egin!}} ("Bon appetit!"), {{lang|eu|Etxe'''z''' etxe}} ("From house to house"), {{lang|eu|Meza'''tara''' joan}} ("Go to the mass"), {{lang|eu|'''Etxe''' bila ibili}} ("To look for a house"), and as the root for compound words ({{lang|eu|'''etxe'''-galgarri}}, {{lang|eu|'''etxe'''kalte}}, "Person or thing which brings loss to a home") or derivative words ({{lang|eu|'''etxe'''ratu}}, "To go home / To send home"; {{lang|eu|'''etxe'''koi}}, "fond of home"; {{lang|eu|'''etxe'''gile}}, "housebuilder").

* The '''definite singular''' is used to designate a person or thing known or to present: {{lang|eu|Zer da eraikin hori? Nire etxe'''a''' da.}} ("What is that building? It is my home"). {{lang|eu|Etxe'''a''' nire'''a''' da}} ("The house is mine").
* The '''definite plural''' designates people or things known or present: {{lang|eu|Zer dira eraikin horiek? Nire etxe'''ak''' dira.}} ("What are those buildings? They are my houses"). {{lang|eu|Etxe'''ak''' nire'''ak''' dira}} ("The houses are mine").
* The '''definite close plural''' refers to people or things which are in the vicinity of the speakers: {{lang|eu|Zer dira eraikin'''ok'''? Nire etxeak dira.}} ("What are those buildings? They are my houses"). {{lang|eu|Etxe'''ok''' nireak dira}} ("These houses are mine").

It is also used to include oneself in the group referred to: {{lang|eu|Nafarr'''ak''' festazale'''ak''' dira}} ("The Navarrese like celebrations": the speaker is not a Navarrese). {{lang|eu|Nafarr'''ok''' festazaleak gara}} ("We Navarrese like celebrations": the speaker is a Navarrese).

Verbs have four singular persons and three plural ones, as follows:

'''Singular''':
* First person (the speaker): {{lang|eu|Euskalduna naiz}} ("I am Basque"). {{lang|eu|Testua idatzi dut}} ("I have written the text").
* Informal second person (the person the speaker is addressing to, i.e., an inferior, an animal, a child, a monologue with oneself): {{lang|eu|Euskalduna haiz}} ("Thou art Basque"). In some tenses, there are different verbs for a man or a woman: {{lang|eu|Testua idatzi duk}} ("Thou hast written the text [said to a man, a boy]", {{lang|eu|Testua idatzi dun}} ("Thou hast written the text [said to a woman, a girl]").
* Formal second person (the person the speaker is addressing to: a superior, somebody older, one's parents), the most frequent one: {{lang|eu|Euskalduna zara}} ("You [singular] are Basque"). {{lang|eu|Testua idatzi duzu}} ("You [sing.] have written the text").
* Third person (neither the speaker nor the listener): {{lang|eu|Handia da}} ("He / She / It is big"). {{lang|eu|Testua idatzi du}} ("He / She / It has written the text").

'''Plural''':
* First person (the speaker and somebody else at least): {{lang|eu|Euskaldunak gara}} ("We are Basque"). {{lang|eu|Testua idatzi dugu}} ("We have written the text").
* Second person (the addressees): {{lang|eu|Euskaldunak zarete}} ("You [plural] are Basque [said to a group, either informally or formally]"). {{lang|eu|Testua idatzi duzue}} ("You [pl.] have written the text").
* Third person (more than one person outside the conversation): {{lang|eu|Handiak dira}} ("They are big"). {{lang|eu|Testua idatzi dute}} ("They have written the text").

===English===
{{Main |English plural}}
[[English language|English]] is typical of most world languages, in distinguishing only between singular and plural number. Singular corresponds to exactly one (or minus one), while plural applies to all other cases, including more and less than one or even 1.0.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hauser |first=Mark |date=2009-09-01 |title=The Origin of the Mind |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/origin-of-the-mind/ |journal=Scientific American |volume=301 |issue=3 |pages=44–51 |doi=10.1038/scientificamerican0909-44 |pmid=19708527 |bibcode=2009SciAm.301c..44H |url-access=subscription }}</ref> The plural form of a noun is usually created by adding the [[suffix]] ''-(e)s''. The pronouns have irregular plurals, as in "I" versus "we", because they are ancient and frequently used words going back to when English had a well developed system of [[declension]]. English verbs distinguish singular from plural number in the third person present tense ("He goes" versus "They go"). [[Old English]] also contained dual grammatical numbers; Modern English retains a few residual terms reflective of dual number (such as ''both'' and ''neither'', as opposed to ''all'' and ''none'' respectively), but they are generally considered to no longer constitute a separate grammatical number.

===Finnish===
{{Further |Finnish grammar#Plurals}}
The [[Finnish language]] has a plural form of almost every noun case (except the comitative, which is formally only plural).
* {{lang|fi|talo}} – house
* {{lang|fi|talot}} – houses
* {{lang|fi|taloissa}} – in the houses

However, when a number is used, or a word signifying a number (monta- many), the singular version of the partitive case is used.
* {{lang|fi|kolme taloa}} – three houses

and where no specific number is mentioned, the plural version of the partitive case is used
* {{lang|fi|taloja}}

and in the possessive (genitive)
* {{lang|fi|talon ovi}} (the house's door)
* {{lang|fi|talojen ovet}} (the houses' doors)

===French===
In modern Romance languages, nouns, adjectives and articles are declined according to number (singular or plural only). Verbs are conjugated for number as well as person. French treats zero as using the singular number, not the plural.

In its written form, [[French language|French]] declines nouns for number (singular or plural). In speech, however, the majority of nouns (and adjectives) are not declined for number. The typical plural suffix, {{lang|fr|-s}} or {{lang|fr|-es}}, is [[silent letter|silent]], no longer indicating a change in pronunciation. Spoken number marking on the noun appears when [[Liaison (French)|liaison]] occurs.
* Some plurals do differ from the singular in pronunciation; for example, masculine singulars in {{lang|fr|-al}} {{IPA|[al]}} sometimes form masculine plurals in {{lang|fr|-aux}} {{IPA|[o]}}.
* [[Proper nouns]] are not pluralized, even in writing. ({{lang|fr|Les voitures}}, but {{lang|fr|Les [[Peugeot 404]]}})

Normally, the article or determiner is the primary spoken indicator of number.

===Hebrew===
In Modern [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]], a [[Semitic language]], most nouns have only singular and plural forms, such as {{lang|he|ספר}} {{IPA |/ˈsefeʁ/}} "book" and {{lang|he|ספרים}} {{IPA|/sfaˈʁim/}} "books", but some have distinct dual forms using a distinct dual suffix (largely nouns pertaining to numbers or time, such as {{lang|he|אלפיים}} {{IPA|/alˈpajim/}} "two thousand" and {{lang|he|שבועיים}} {{IPA|/ʃvuˈajim/}} "two weeks"), some use this dual suffix for their regular plurals (largely body parts that tend to come in pairs, such as {{lang|he|עיניים}} {{IPA|/eiˈnajim/}} "eyes", as well as some that do not, such as {{lang|he|שיניים}} {{IPA|/ʃiˈnajim/}} "teeth"), and some are inherently dual (such as {{lang|he|מכנסיים}} {{IPA |/mixnaˈsajim/}} "pants" and {{lang|he|אופניים}} {{IPA|/ofaˈnajim/}} "bicycle"). Adjectives, verbs, and pronouns agree with their subjects' or antecedents' numbers, but only have a two-way distinction between singular and plural; dual nouns entail plural adjectives, verbs, and pronouns.

===Mortlockese===
The [[Mortlockese language]] of the [[Nomoi Islands|Mortlock Islands]] uses a base 10 counting system. Pronouns, nouns and demonstratives are used exclusively in the singular and plural forms through the use of classifiers, suffixes and prefixes.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ward |first=William Theophilus Thomas |year=1955 |title=A preliminary survey of the economic and social life of the Mortlock Islands people, Eastern Carolines, Trust Territory of Micronesia}}</ref> There are no other dual or trial grammatical forms in the Mortlockese language.<ref>{{cite book |last=Odango |first=Emerson Lopez |title=Afféú Fangani 'Join Together': A Morphophonemic Analysis of Possessive Suffix Paradigms and A Discourse-Based Ethnography of the Elicitation Session in Pakin Lukunosh Mortlockese |publisher=University of Hawaii at Manoa Dissertation |url=http://ling.hawaii.edu/wp-content/uploads/Dissertation_ODANGO-FINAL.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://ling.hawaii.edu/wp-content/uploads/Dissertation_ODANGO-FINAL.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |date=May 2015}}</ref> Different forms that can be used in the language include first person singular and plural words, second person singular words like {{lang|mrl|umwi}}, second person plural words like {{lang|mrl|aumi}} used to refer to an outside group, and third person plural words.<ref>{{cite web |author=University of Hawaii at Manoa Hamilton |title=Narrative and identity construction in the Pacific Islands |website=reader.eblib.com.eres.library.manoa.hawaii.edu |publisher=Philadelphia, PA: John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2015. |url=http://reader.eblib.com.eres.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/(S(bfec0qwyennsyhjjyoy3lxhr))/Reader.aspx?p=2040187&o=376&u=0GOyKO0ekzLvKJLaSEvKuw%3d%3d&t=1486402464&h=5B6C7F87B4062AECBD899D5821D51EF7A00B310D&s=53250598&ut=1139&pg=1&r=img&c=-1&pat=n&cms=-1&sd=2#}}</ref>

===Russian===
{{main|Russian declension#Numerals}}

Modern [[Russian language|Russian]] has a singular vs plural number system, but the [[declension]] of noun phrases containing numeral expressions follows complex rules. For example, {{lang|ru|У меня (есть) одна книга/три книги/пять книг}} ("I have one book-''nom. sing.''/three book-''gen. sing.''/five book-''gen. plur.''"). See [[Dual (grammatical number)#Slavic languages|Dual number: Slavic languages]] for a discussion of number phrases in Russian and other Slavic languages.

The numeral "one" also has a plural form used with [[pluralia tantum]], as in {{lang|ru|одни часы}}, "one clock".<ref>{{cite book |last=Lunt |first=Horace G. |author-link=Horace Lunt |year=1982 |orig-year=1958 |title=Fundamentals of Russian: First Russian Course |location=Columbus, OH |publisher=Slavica |page=204 |isbn=0-89357-097-4 }}</ref> The same form is used with countable nouns in meaning "only": {{lang|ru|Кругом одни идиоты}} "There are only idiots around".

===Swedish===
[[Swedish language|Swedish]] inflects nouns in singular and plural. The plural of the noun is usually obtained by adding a suffix, according to the noun's declension. The suffixes are as follows: {{lang|sv|-or}} in the 1st declension (e.g. {{lang|sv|flicka}} – {{lang|sv|flickor}}), {{lang|sv|-ar}} in the 2nd (e.g. {{lang|sv|bil}} – {{lang|sv|bilar}}), {{lang|sv|-er}} in the 3rd (e.g. {{lang|sv|katt}} – {{lang|sv|katter}}), {{lang|sv|-n}} in the 4th (e.g. {{lang|sv|äpple}} – {{lang|sv|äpplen}}) and no inflectional suffix is added for the nouns in the 5th declension (e.g. {{lang|sv|bord}} – {{lang|sv|bord}}). Verbs in Swedish do not distinguish singular from plural number, but adjectives do.

===Constructed languages===
[[International auxiliary language|Auxiliary languages]] often have fairly simple systems of grammatical number. In one of the most common schemes (found, for example, in [[Interlingua]] and [[Ido]]), nouns and pronouns distinguish between singular and plural, but not other numbers, and adjectives and verbs do not display any number agreement. In [[Esperanto]], however, adjectives must agree in both number and case with the nouns that they qualify.

[[Láadan]] uses a singular-paucal-superplural breakdown, with paucal indicating between two and five items inclusive.