(Hamlet, i. 4.)
of uncertain origin, but probably aphetic for carouse, drink carouse being wrongly separated as drink a rouse. The bird called a wheatear was formerly called wheatears, a corruption of a name best explained by its French equivalent cul blanc, "the bird called a whittaile" (Cotgrave). We may compare the bird-name redstart, where start means rump.
Conversely a word used in the plural is sometimes regarded as a singular, the result being a double plural. Many Latin neuter plurals were adopted into French as feminine singulars, e.g., cornua, corne, horn; labra, lèvre, lip; vela, voile, sail. It is obvious that this is most likely to occur in the case of plurals which are used for a pair, or set, of things, and thus have a kind of collective sense. Breeches or breeks is a double plural, Anglo-Sax. brēc being already the plural of brōc. In Mid. English we still find breche or breke used of this garment. Trousers was earlier trouses, plural of trouse, now trews, and was used especially of Irish native costume. The latest researches throw doubt on the identity of these words with Fr. trousse, a page's short breeches. The etymology which now finds most favour is Irish and Gaelic triubhas, from Late Lat. tubracci or tribracci, which is supposed to be a corrupted compound from tibia, leg, shank, and braccæ, breeches. Bodice is for bodies, as pence is for pennies. Cotgrave explains corset by "a paire of bodies for a woman," and the plural sense occurs as late as Harrison Ainsworth—
"A pair of bodice of the cumbrous form in vogue at the beginning of the last century."
(Jack Sheppard, Ch. 1.)
Trace, of a horse, is the Old Fr. plural trais[91] (traits) of trait, "a teame-trace" (Cotgrave). Apprentice is the plural of Fr. apprenti, formerly apprentif, a derivative of apprendre, to learn, hence a disciple. Invoice is the plural of the obsolete invoy, from Fr. envoi, sending.
In the Grecian steps, at Lincoln, we have a popular corruption of the common Mid. Eng. and Tudor grece, grese, plural of Old Fr. gré, step, from Lat. gradus. Shakespeare spells it grize—
"Let me speak like yourself; and lay a sentence,
Which, as a grize, or step, may help these lovers
Into your favour."
(Othello, i. 3.)
SINGULARS FROM PLURALS