Plural of Things

171. Plural of Things. The plural form is not confined in Greek (or indeed in any language) to the expression of "plurality" in the strict sense, i. e. to denote a group composed of distinct individuals, but is often used (especially in Homer) of objects which it is more logical to think of in the singular. Many words, too, are used both in the singular and the plural, with little or no difference of meaning.

Notice especially the uses of the plural in the case of

1. Objects consisting of parts.
   

   τόξον and τόξα
   bow and arrows

   ὄχος and ὄχεα : ἅρμα and ἅρματα
   a chariot

   δῶμα, μέγαρον
   a hall or room

   δώματα, μέγαρα
   a house

   λέκτρον and λέκτρα
   a bed

   πύλαι a gate is only used in the plural; θύρη is used as well as θύραι, but only of the door of a room (θάλαμος).

2. Natural objects of undefined extent.
    
   • ψάμαθος and ψάμαθοι
     (as we say sands)
      
   • ἅλες[fn]Once ἅλς.[/fn]
     salt
      
   • κονίη and κονίαι
     dust
      
   • πυρός and πυροί
     wheat
      
   • ῥέεθρον and ῥέεθρα
      
   • κῦμα[fn]In a collective sense.[/fn] and κύματα
      
   • δάκρυ and δάκρυα
      
   • κρέα[fn]Seldom κρέας.[/fn]
     meat
      
   • σάρκες[fn]Once singular[/fn]
     flesh
      
3. Parts of the body.
   

   νῶτον[fn]Or νῶτος; the nominative singular does not occur in Homer.[/fn] and νῶτα

   στῆθος and (more commonly) στήθεα

   πρόσωπον and πρόσωπα
   the cοuntenance

   φρήν and φρένες

4. Abstract words.
   

   λελασμένος ἱπποσυνάων
   forgetting horsemanship

   ποδωκείῃσι πεποιθώς
   trusting to speed of foot

   ἀναλκείῃσι δαμέντες
   overcome by want of prowess

   πολυϊδρείῃσι νόοιο
   through cunning of understanding

   So ἀτασθαλίαι, ἀφραδίαι, ἀγηνορίαι, ἀεσιφροσύναι, τεκτοσύναι, μεθημοσύναι, etc.; note also προδοκαί (ambush), προχοαί (mouth of a river), δῶρα (gift)[fn]Il. 20.268 χρῦσος γὰρ ἐρύκακε, δῶρα θεοῖο[/fn], κυνῶν μέλπηθρα (the sport of dogs), φυκτά (escaping), ἴσα (fairness; see § 161).

   The plural in such cases is a kind of imperfect abstraction; the particular manifestations of a quality are thought of as units in a group or mass—not yet as forming a single thing.

5. Collective words.
   

   μῆλα
   flocks

   So πρόβατα is only plural in Homer (cp. πρόβασις Od. 2.75).

6. Pronouns and Adjectives.

   See the examples of adverbial uses, §§ 133-134; cp. also § 161.