Plural of abstraction
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The plural of abstraction, or plurale abstractum[1] (Latin for "abstract plural"), is the linguistic phenomenon of using a plural form to turn a concrete idea into an abstract state or quality.[2] The logic of the phenomenon can be described as the plural manifesting the various concrete manifestations of a quality or of a state, to refer to the quality or state in its generality:[3] for example, the Hebrew verb נִשָּׂא (nissa) denotes the individual act "to become married", and the derived plural form נִשּׂוּאִין (nissuin) manifests the specific instances together to refer to the institution of marriage.
Hebrew
[edit]The phenomenon is most commonly discussed in the context of Hebrew, notably by Gesenius,[4] Joüon,[5] and Waltke and O’Connor.[6] Examples include זְקוּנִים 'old age' from זָקֵן 'old person', מְגוּרִים 'residence' from גָּר 'to dwell', and רַחֲמִים 'mercy' from רִחֵם 'to have mercy on'. The word for God, אֱלֹהִים, is often supposed to arise from a plural of abstraction to refer to "divinity", as Gesenius himself and others point out.[4][7] Other examples include חַיִּים 'life', בְּתוּלִים 'virginity', פְּלִילִים 'criminal law', נִשּׂוּאִין 'marriage', גֵּרוּשִׁין 'divorce', אֵרוּסִין 'betrothal'.
It is distinct from pluralis excellentiae.
English
[edit]Examples include politics, ethics, physics, morals, nuptials, amends, surroundings, outskirts, remains, riches.
French
[edit]Examples include ténèbres (darkness), richesses (riches), mœurs (morals), fiançailles (betrothal), funérailles (funeral), noces (wedding), alentours (surroundings).
Latin
[edit]Examples include tenebrae (darkness), divitiae (riches), nuptiae (nuptials), castra (military camp), insidiae (ambush).
References
[edit]- ↑ Heinlein, Edward (1907). . Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1.
- ↑ Lunn, Nicholas (2016). "Differentiating Intensive and Abstract Plural Nouns in Biblical Hebrew". Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages.
- ↑ Paul, Jouon; Tamitsu, Muraoka (2006). "Chapter IV §134 subparagraph g". A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew. Editrice Pontificio Istituto biblico. p. 471. ISBN 978-88-7653-629-8.
Plural of abstraction. An abstract noun is quite often expressed by a plural, which properly speaking aims at the various concrete manifestations of a quality or of a state ;
- 1 2 "Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar/124. The Various Uses of the Plural-form - Wikisource, the free online library". en.wikisource.org. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
- ↑ Paul, Jouon; Tamitsu, Muraoka (2006). "Chapter IV §134". A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew. Editrice Pontificio Istituto biblico. p. 471. ISBN 978-88-7653-629-8.
- ↑ Waltke, Bruce K.; O'Connor, Michael Patrick (1990). "§7.4.2". An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Eisenbrauns. ISBN 978-0-931464-31-7.
- ↑ "YHWH is Elohim, Not the Ancestral Spirits - TheTorah.com". www.thetorah.com. Retrieved 2026-01-27.