Is “knife” singular or plural?
Knife is singular; knives is plural. What’s with the word knife, and why does it behave the way it does from its singular to plural form? Keep reading.
What’s the definition of “knife”?
The online dictionary defines the word knife as, “an instrument for cutting, consisting essentially of a thin, sharp-edged, metal blade fitted with a handle”.
What’s the plural of knife?
The plural of knife (knives), is irregular. Though it ends in the regular –es as a plural noun, it does so by replacing its ending (-fe) in the singular case. Nouns normally add on the -es/-s to show plurality: books, phones, dogs and cats all put an s to demonstrate a plural noun. This makes it extremely easy (for the most part) to form a plural noun: just add an s to the singular noun.
This isn’t the case with words leaf, wolf shelf, elf, life, wife, thief, calf, half, (the list goes on.) It could have something to do with the fact that each of these words came to Modern English from the Germanic languages, or PIE (Proto-Indo-European languages.) The same rule that applies with these other Germanic derived nouns, (wolf, knife, wife, life, etc.) each ends in –ves as a plural noun, replacing the sibilant -f/-fe in the singular case. See the chart below.
Nouns that end in -f/-fe and -ves
| singular | plural |
| knife | knives |
| life | lives |
| wife | wives |
| shelf | shelves |
| self | selves |
| half | halves |
| wolf | wolves |
Examples of “knife” (singular), in sentences
1. This knife has no sharp edge.
2. The man attacked him with a knife.
3. We usually eat with a knife, fork and spoon.
4. I injured myself with a sharp knife.
5. Drop the knife!
Examples of “knives” (plural), in sentences
1. I’ll get the knives and forks out to set the table for dinner.
2. Bread knives should have a serrated edge.
3. Knives of any description are forbidden.
4. The men were carrying knives and clubs.
5. Put the knives in the kitchen drawer.
Synonyms for knife
- blade
- cutter
- bayonet
- scalpel
- skewer
- sword
- scythe
- sickle
- lance
- machete
Origin of knife
From etymonline on knife:
“hand-held cutting instrument consisting of a short blade and handle,” late Old English cnif, probably from Old Norse knifr “knife, dirk,” from Proto-Germanic *knibaz.“
What’s the difference between they’re, their, and there?
Sources
- Definition of knife.
- Synonyms of knife.
- Origin of knife.
- Wikipedia, sibilants.
