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Lectures on Language - As Particularly Connected with English Grammar. by William Stevens Balch
page 56 of 261 (21%)
easy and harmonious. _F_ and _v_ were formerly used indiscriminately, in
singulars as well as plurals, and, in fact, in the composition of all
words where they occurred. The same may be said of _i_ and _y_.

"The Fader (Father) Almychty of the heven abuf (above)
In the mene tyme, unto Juno his _luf_ (love)
Thus spak; and sayd."
_Douglas, booke 12, pag. 441._

"They lyued in ioye and in felycite
For eche of hem had other lefe and dere."
_Chaucer, Monks Tale, fol. 81, p. 1._

"When straite twane beefes he tooke
And an the aultar layde."

The reason why _y_ is changed into _i_ in the formation of plurals, and
in certain other cases, is, I apprehend, accounted for from the fact
that words which now end in _y_ formerly ended in _ie_, as may be seen
in all old books. The regular plural was then formed by adding _s_.

"And upon those members of the _bodie_, which _wee_ thinke most
unhonest, put _wee_ more honestie on." "It rejoyceth not in
iniquitie--diversitie of gifts--all thinges edifie not." See old bible,
1 Cor., chap. 13 and 14.

Other words form their plurals still more differently, for which no
other rule than habit can be given; as, man, men; foot, feet; tooth,
teeth; die, dice; mouse, mice; penny, pence, and sometimes pennies, when
applied to distinct pieces of money, and not to value.
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