irregular plurals

frenchy-french:

different pronounciations :

– egg : un oeuf (”un-neuf”) / des oeufs (”des eu”)

– ox/beef : un boeuf (”un beuffe”) / des boeufs (”des beu”)

– bone : un os (”un-nosse”) / des os (”des o”)

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different plurals :

– madame > mesdames (f) / monsieur > messieurs (m)

– eye : un oeil (”un-neuille”) / des yeux (”des zieu”)

– sky : le ciel / les cieux ; old (m + vowel) : vieil / vieux

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nouns that are always plural : 

fiançailles (f, engagement), archives (f, archives), ébats (m, intercourse), frais (m, expenses), thermes (f, thermal baths), ténèbres (f, darkness),  victuailles (f, provisions – rare), obsèques (f, funeral), services (m, services/utilities), préparatifs (m, preparation), condoléances (f), alentours (m, surroundings), auspices (m), moeurs (f, manners/decency), honoraires (f, fees), gens (m, people), confins (m, confines/borders), retrouvailles (f, homecoming), arrhes (f, deposit)

nouns that switch gender (masculine to feminine) by changing number : 

délice (delight : mostly about food) / pâque (easter) – masc when orthodox and jewish, fem when christian / orgue (organ) – when emphatic / amour (love), ex : 

Mais le vert paradis des amours enfantines,
L’innocent paradis, plein de plaisirs furtifs,
Est-il déjà plus loin que l’Inde et que la Chine ? 

(moesta et errabunda, charles baudelaire, les fleurs du mal)

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regular plural making in french : x