Appendix talk:English irregular nouns

Chairpeople or chairpersons? Perhaps I need a better example here. -- Paul G 10:10, 22 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Rule #5 is incomplete: "Compound words that..."

"Foot" not plural
I don’t believe that this statement about foot/feet is correct: “The plural foot is used colloquially in the sense of the unit of distance.” I would say: “The ten-foot pole is ten feet long.”  I believe the rule is that nouns are used in the singular when they are used as adjectives. (I think this is universally true in American English, but not in British English?) For example, all American English words for pants (trousers, jeans, slacks, etc.) are plurals without singulars, except when they are used as adjectives. We would say “a pant leg,” “a trouser pocket.”

Olivia

You're right, its singular form is used, so foot isn't another plural of foot... It's just like: I'm a 16-year-old boy from Hungary. If one says foot is a plural form in this case then even year should. But as I'm not native speaker of the English language I leave it somebody else to correct. Sincererly, Ferike333 06:37, 9 April 2009 (UTC)