OBSERVATIONS ON THE LANGUAGE OF CHAUCER. 
463 
-s (z) only is frequently added, especially to nouns terminating in a liquid. 
; pilgryms, 2850. 
naciouns, 53. 
bargayns, 284. 
sesouns, 349. 
sessions, 357. 
pens, 7158. 
lazars, 245. 
sellers, 248. 
achatours, 510. 
pilours, 1009. 
lovers, 1533. 
So the following, of various terminations in the singular, in some of which, though -es is added, only 
s is sounded. 
schoos, 459. bisschops, 4673. 
reliks, 13764. 
servantes, 101. greyhoundes, 190. 
dys, 1240. keverchefs, 455. lordyngs, lordynges, contractes, 6890. stiwardes, 581. 
caytifs, 926. 7250, 15725.  vestimentz, 2950. husbonds, 2825. 
yeddynges, 237. marchauntz, 4568, 4591. 
prechings, 6139. 
$ 23. The following have -em, -m, derived from 
the Saxon plural in -an of the 1st Declension. 
asschen (S. ascan), 1304, 1366. 
aissches, 12735. 
assen (S. assan), 5867. 
been (S. beón), 10518. 
bees, 7275, 10296 f, 16878. 
eren, yén (S. eágan), 152, 16786. 
fleen (S. fleán), 16949. 
hosen (S. hosan), 458, 3953, 15144. 
oxen (S. oxan), 5867, 16483. 
schoon (S. sceón, also sceos), 15143. 
schoos, 459. 
ton (S. tàn), 16348, 16666, 16793. 
toos, 16817. 
$ 24. The following have -m, -em, by imitation, 
being of various declensions in Saxon. 
bretheren (S. bróthru, L. brothere, brethren, broth- 
eres ; O, brethre), 13831, 14192. 
doughteren (S. dóhtru, L. dohtere, dohtren, dohtres), 
- 11741; doughtres, 16315. 
sistren (S. sweostru, L. sustren, sostres), 1021. 
sustres, 16353. 
children (S. cildru, cilde, cild, L. childere, children, 
childres, O. chilldre), 1195, 14908. 
childre, iii. 84; childer, 8031, 14912. 
foon (S. fa, Bosw.), 16192 f. 
foos, 15815; ii. 323. 
kyn (S. e$), 16317. 
$ 25. The following have no termination in the 
plural, according to the rule of Saxon neuters of the 
Second Declension. 
arguments, 4648. 
maundementz, 6866. 
instrumentz, 9587. 
deer (S. deor), 15147 f (misspelt dere, 11502 f). 
folk (S. folc), ii. 326; iii. 151. 
folkes! 12102, 13020, ii. 329; 13879? 
good (S. gód), 583, 613, 13217, 14654, 14843. 
hors * (S. hors, L. hors, horses), 600, 7129, 7141, 
15044; 15590 (?) ; so 5867, Tyrwh.; horses, iii. 
EEN 
neet (S. neat), 599 (where Wright reads “ meet”). 
scheep (S. scep), 599. 
swin (S. swin), 600. 
thing (S. thing, L. thing, thinges), 12468 f, 16039. 
thinges, 6166, 9805, 13853. 
yer, yeer (S. gear, gér), 3223, 8612, 8656, 9291, etc. 
yeres, yeeres, 2969 f, 7531 f. 
So night (fem. of 2d Decl.), 7467 f, “ fourty dayes 
and fourty night,” 16359, etc., like the Saxon niht; 
and wynter, “twenty wynter," 10357, 15545, ete., 
as also in Saxon; though both ought rather to be 
explained by a principle of syntax ; see further on, 
$ 100c. Freend, 3052, 3053, is probably a plural 
(S. fr$nd, freónd, freóndas, L. freond, freondes, 
O. freond). 
§ 26. The plurals formed by change of vowel are 
the same in Chaucer as in English. 
feet (S. fét), 1761; but feeté! 5524 f, “falleth him 
to feete." 
gees (S. gés), 16877. 
men (S. men), 178 f. 
teeth (S. té3), 7743. 
* So, in excellent MSS., at v. 74, “his hors weren 
gode." 
