RULE XV.
Nouns ending in y after a consonant change y into ies in the plural; as, city, cities; daisy, daisies.
RULE XVI.
Compound nouns whose parts are connected by a hyphen accept of the sign of the plural after that part which essentially constitutes the noun; as, knight-errant, knights-errant; son-in-law, sons-in-law; man-of-war, men-of-war; step-child, step-children; ember-day, ember-days; man-singer, men-singers.
ILLUSTRATIONS.
- aides-de-camp
- beaus-ideal or
- beaux-ideal
- cartes-blanche
- charges-d’affaires
- chevaux-de-frise
- coups-de-main
- courts-martial
- cousins-german
- daughters-in-law
- fathers-in-law
- gendarmes or
- gens d’armes
- jets d’eau
- knights-errant
- mesdames
- men-of-war
- messieurs
- mothers-in-law
- poets-laureate
- porte-monnaies
- prices-current
- sergeants-at-arms
- sisters-in-law
- sons-in-law
- step-children
- step-fathers
- valets-de-chambre
Remark I.—If no hyphen is used, the sign of the plural is always placed at the end; as, spoonful, spoonfuls.
Remark II.—The sign of the possessive case is always placed at the end of compound nouns; as, son-in-law’s house.
RULE XVII.
The compounds of man form their plural in the same manner as the simple word; as, fisherman, fishermen; man-of-war, men-of-war.