N. B.--Bal, ball; carnaval, carnival; régal, a treat, take s.
8. Ciel, oeil, aïeul, have two plurals, as:
|
aïeul, aïeux, ancestor, ancestors. ciel, cieux, heaven, heavens. ciel { tester of a bed; {sky of a picture; oeil, yeux, eye, eyes. |
aïeul, aïeuls, grandfather, grandfathers. ciels { testers of beds. {skies of pictures. oeils-de-boeuf, oval window, oval windows. |
§ 6. Plural of Compound Nouns.
1. When two nouns form a compound, both take the plural ending, as:
|
chef-lieu, chefs-lieux, chief town, chief towns. |
chou-fleur, choux-fleurs, cauliflower. |
2. When two nouns are connected by a preposition, the first only takes the plural ending, as:
|
arc-en-ciel, arcs-en-ciel, rainbow, rainbows. |
chef-d'oeuvre, chefs-d'oeuvre, masterpiece, masterpieces. |
N. B.--Peculiar are tête-à-tête, private interview, and pied-à-terre, temporary stopping-place, which are invariable.
3. A noun and adjective forming a compound take both the plural ending, as: