Afrikaans/Vocabulary/Irregular Plurals
Below is a list of irregular plurals in Afrikaans or plurals that are not as obvious as should seem. This list does not take commonality into account, so certain words may be supplanted by others in actual use.
Short Vowels
[edit | edit source]| Irregular Forms w/Pronunciation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Afrikaans Sing. | Afrikaans Plur. | Sing. Pronunciation | Plur. Pronunciation | Extra Notes |
advice; counsel
|
raad
|
raadgewinge
raadgewings
|
/rɑːt/
|
/rɑːtˈχɪə̯.vəŋə/
|
|
bid
|
bod
bot |
botte
|
/bot/
|
/ˈbot.tə/
|
|
(black)smith
|
smid
|
smede
|
/smət/
|
/smˈɪə̯də/
|
|
blessing
|
seën
|
seëninge
|
/sɪə̯n/
|
/ˈsɪə̯nəŋə/
|
|
commandment
|
gebod
|
gebooie
|
/χəˈbot/
|
/χəˈboːi̯ə/
|
|
city
|
stad
|
stede
|
/stat/
|
/ˈstɪə̯də/
|
|
dale
|
dal
|
dale
|
/dal/
|
/ˈdɑːlə/
|
|
defect; flaw
|
gebrek
|
gebreke
|
/χəˈbrɛk/
|
/χəˈbrɪə̯kə/
|
|
dwarf
|
dwerg
|
dwerge
|
/dwɛrχ/
|
/ˈdwɛr.ɡə/
|
Form isn't irregular; Pronunciation is. |
enjoyment; delight
|
genot
|
genietinge
genietings
|
/χəˈnot/
|
/χəˈni.təŋə/
|
|
(narrow) footbridge
ladder bridge |
steg
|
stegge
|
/stɛχ/
|
/stɛχə/
|
|
game
|
spel
|
spele
|
/spɛl/
|
/ˈspɪə̯lə/
|
|
glass
|
glas
|
glase
|
/χlas/
|
/ˈχlɑːsə/
|
|
god
|
god
|
gode
|
/χot/
|
/ˈχʊədə/
|
|
hole
|
gat
|
gate
|
/χat/
|
/ˈχɑːtə/
|
|
member
|
lid
|
lede
|
/lət/
|
/ˈlɪə̯də/
|
|
mountain
|
berg
|
berge
|
/bɛrχ/
|
/ˈbɛr.ɡə/
|
Form isn't irregular; Pronunciation is. |
offer, proffer
|
aanbod
|
aanbiedinge
|
/ˈɑːn.bot/
|
/ˈɑːn.bi.dəŋə/
|
|
order
|
bevel
|
bevele
|
/bəˈfɛl/
|
/bəˈfɪə̯lə/
|
|
page
|
blad
|
blaaie
|
/blat/
|
/blɑːɪ̯ə/
|
|
prayer
|
gebed
|
gebede
|
/χəˈbɛt/
|
/χəˈbɪə̯də/
|
|
rank, file, line
|
gelid
|
geledere
|
/χəˈlət/
|
/χəˈlɪə̯.dərə/
|
|
road
|
pad
|
paaie
|
/pat/
|
/pɑːɪ̯ə/
|
|
shirt
|
hemp
|
hemde
|
/ɦɛmp/
|
/ˈɦɛmdə/
|
|
ship
|
skip
|
skepe
|
/skəp/
|
/ˈskɪə̯pə/
|
|
siege
|
beleg
|
beleëringe
beleërings
|
/bəˈlɛχ/
|
/bəˈlɪə̯.rəŋə/
/bəˈlɪə̯.rəŋs/
|
|
time
|
tyd
|
tye
|
/tyt/
|
/ˈtyə/
|
|
tortoise
|
skilpad
|
skilpaaie
|
/skəlˈpat/
|
/skəlˈpɑːɪ̯ə/
|
|
Long Vowels
[edit | edit source]| Irregular Forms | ||
|---|---|---|
| English | Afrikaans Sing. | Afrikaans Plur. |
corporal
|
korporaal
|
korporaals
|
cousin
|
neef
|
neefs
|
uncle
|
oom
|
ooms
|
Diphthongs
[edit | edit source]| Irregular Forms | ||
|---|---|---|
| English | Afrikaans Sing. | Afrikaans Plur. |
boy; son
|
seun
|
seuns
|
brother
|
broer
|
broers
|
lion
|
leeu
|
leeus
|
an (olden) rifle
|
roer
|
roers
|
Plurals with a Circumflex
[edit | edit source]| Important "-f" Irregulars | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Afrikaans Sing. | Afrikaans Plur. | Sing. Pronunciation | Plur. Pronunciation | Extra Notes |
back
|
rug
|
rûe
|
/rœχ/
|
/rœːə/
|
|
bridge
|
brug
|
brûe
brugge |
/brœχ/
|
/brœːə/
|
/brœːχə/
|
harrow
|
eg
|
eê
egge |
/æχ/
|
/æːə/
|
/æːχə/
|
ridge
|
rug
|
rûens
|
/rœχ/
|
/rœːəns/
|
|
sow
|
sog
|
sôe
sogge |
/sɔχ/
|
/soːə/
|
/soːχə/
|
trough
|
trog
|
trôe
|
/trɔχ/
|
/troːə/
|
|
wedge
|
wig
|
wîe
|
/vəχ/
|
/vəːə/
|
|
Ending in "-ie"
[edit | edit source]In every instance, the below words pluralize as "-ieë".
| Irregular Forms | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Afrikaans Sing. | Afrikaans Plur. | Alt. Plur. |
alkali
|
alkali
|
alkalië
|
alkali's
|
allegory
|
allegorie
|
allegorieë
|
|
allergy
|
allergie
|
allergieë
|
|
amnesty
|
amnestie
|
amnestieë
|
|
amphibian
|
amfibie
|
ambifieë
|
|
analogy
|
analogie
|
analogieë
|
|
anomaly
|
anomalie
|
anomalieë
|
|
antinomy
|
antinomie
|
antinomieë
|
|
antipathy
|
antipatie
|
antipatieë
|
|
apology
|
apologie
|
apologieë
|
|
artery
|
arterie
|
arterieë
|
|
bacterium (-a)
|
bakterie
|
bakterieë
|
bakteries
|
bibliography
|
bibliografie
|
bibliografieë
|
|
biography
|
biografie
|
biografieë
|
|
bibliography
|
bibliografie
|
bibliografieë
|
|
cacography
|
kakografie
|
kakografieë
|
|
cacophony
|
kakofonie
|
kakofonieë
|
|
category
|
kategorie
|
kategorieë
|
|
causerie
|
causerie
|
causerieë
|
|
chrestomathy
|
chrestomatie
|
chrestomatieë
|
|
copy
|
kopie
|
kopieë
|
|
deanery
|
dekanie
|
dekanieë
|
|
domicile
|
domisilie
|
domisilieë
|
|
doxology
|
doksologie
|
doksologieë
|
|
drapery
|
draperie
|
draperieë
|
|
dynasty
|
dinastie
|
dinastieë
|
|
elegy
|
elegie
|
elegieë
|
|
fairyland
|
feërie
|
feërieë
|
|
fantasy
|
fantasie
|
fantasieë
|
|
felony
|
felonie
|
felonieë
|
|
fury
|
furie
|
furieë
|
|
genealogy
|
genealogie
|
genealogieë
|
|
genius
|
genie
|
genieë
|
|
gram calorie
|
gramkalorie
|
gramkalorieë
|
|
haplography
|
haplografie
|
haplografieë
|
|
harmony
|
harmonie
|
harmonieë
|
|
hierachy
|
hiërargie
|
hiërargieë
|
|
homily
|
homilie
|
homilieë
|
|
ideology
|
ideologie
|
ideologieë
|
|
industry
|
industrie
|
industrieë
|
|
knie
|
knie
|
knieë
|
|
industry
|
industrie
|
industrieë
|
|
melody
|
melodie
|
melodieë
|
|
monopoly
|
monopolie
|
monopolieë
|
|
parochial board
|
diakonie
|
diakonieë
|
|
phantasmagoria
|
fantasmagorie
|
fantasmagorieë
|
|
phototype
|
fototipie
|
fototipieë
|
|
phylactery
|
filakterie
|
filakterieë
|
|
theory
|
teorie
|
teorieë
|
|
(rugby) try
|
drie
|
drieë
|
|
Ending in "-f"
[edit | edit source]| Important "-f" Irregulars | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Afrikaans Sing. | Afrikaans Plur. | Sing. Pronunciation | Plur. Pronunciation |
plot (of land)
|
erf
|
erwe
|
||
court (of law)
|
hof
|
howe
|
/ɦɔf/
|
/ˈɦʊə.və/
|
grave
|
graf
|
grafte
|
||
"-ere" and "-ens" plurals
[edit | edit source]| Forms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ending in -ere | ||
| English | Afrikaans Sing. | Afrikaans Plur. |
good
|
goed
|
goedere
|
nation, people
|
volk
|
volke
volkere
|
song
|
lied
|
liedere
|
state of mind and heart
|
gemoed
|
gemoedere
|
| Ending in -ens | ||
| English | Afrikaans Sing. | Afrikaans Plur. |
bed
|
bed
|
beddens
|
bath
|
bad
|
baddens
|
feeling
|
gevoel
|
gevoelens
|
guy
|
ou
|
ouens
|
hat
|
hoed
|
hoede
hoedens
|
heap, stack, pile
|
mied
|
miede
miedens
|
pig
|
vark
|
varke
varkens
|
sweetheart
|
nooi
|
nooiens
|
wagon
|
wa
|
waens
|
woman
|
vrou
|
vroue
vrouens
|
young
|
jong
|
jongens
|
young lady
|
juffrou
|
juffroue
juffrouens
|
Words with Two Plurals
[edit | edit source]In such a list, the more common forms are given first.
| Irregular Forms | ||
|---|---|---|
| English | Afrikaans Sing. | Afrikaans Plur. |
phobia
|
fobie
|
fobies
fobieë
|
meerkat
|
meerkat
|
meerkatte
meerkaaie
|
museum
|
museum
|
museums
musea
|
terminus
|
terminus
|
terminusse
termini
|
technician
|
tegnikus
|
tegnikusse
tegnici
|