Plurals

Several nouns appear as plural in Shakespearean English which are singular in modern English, and there are other kinds of number difference, as illustrated in the selection below. Plurality may be shown both by the form of the word (as in modern boy > boys) or by its agreement with the verb or determiner (as in this sheep is > these sheep are).
The Shakespearean situation is complicated by the existence of forms which might reflect a personal or regional dialect, as well as by usages which may be the result of printing errors.

Examples include Shylock’s use of beefs and muttons and the various plurals used by speakers with a Welsh background, such as disparagements (

WELSH). Examples of the reverse process (singular > plural) can also be found, as in ‘their business still lies out o’door’ (CE II.i.11) alongside ‘out of doors’ (Cor I.iii.72), and ‘conquer other by the dint of sword’ (E3 V.i.52), where modern usage whould use others.

Shakespearean plural > Modern singular

Item	Location	Example	Modern use
attires	AC V.ii.228	Go fetch / My best attires	attire
beefs	2H4 III.ii.316	now has he land and beefs	beef
behalfs	TNK II.ii.53	in our behalfs	behalf
behaviours	JC I.ii.42	Which give some soil ... to my behaviours	behaviour
companies	Ham II.ii.14	by your companies / To draw him on to pleasures	company
courages	Cym II.iv.24	Now wing-led with their courages	courage
funerals	JC V.iii.105	His funerals shall not be in our camp	funeral
informations	H8 V.iii.110	In seeking tales and informations	information
kindreds	TNK II.i.62	Where are our friends and kindreds?	kindred
moneys	MV I.iii.105	you have rated me / About my moneys	money
musics	Cym II.iii.38	I have assailed her with musics	music
muttons	MV I.iii.164	flesh of muttons, beefs, or goats	mutton
revenges	Mac V.ii.3	Revenges burn in them	revenge
sheeps	LLL II.i.205	Two hot sheeps, marry?	sheep
thunders	Mac I.ii.26	Shipwracking storms and direful thunders	thunder

Shakespearean both singular and plural > Modern either singular or plural

Item	Location	Example	Modern use
news	1H6 I.i.67	These news would cause him once more yield the ghost [plural]	this news [singular]
	1H4 I.i.58	the news was told [singular]
nuptials	MND I.i.125	I must employ you in some business / Against our nuptial [singular]	our nuptials [plural]
	Per V.iii.80	We’ll celebrate their nuptials [plural]
odds	R2 III.iv.89	with that odds he weighs King Richard down [singular]	those odds [plural]
	MM III.i.41	death we fear, / That makes these odds all even [plural]
riches	Sonn 87.6	for that riches where is my deserving? [singular]	those riches [plural]
	Tim IV.ii.32	riches point to misery and contempt [plural]
tidings	R2 III.iv.80	how / Camest thou by this ill tidings [singular]	these tidings [plural]
	KJ IV.ii.132	Thou hast made me giddy / With these ill tidings [plural]
victuals	MA I.i.46	You had musty victual [singular]	victuals [plural]
	Cym III.vii.13	it eats our victuals [plural]

Shakespearean double plurals > Modern plural

Item	Location	Example	Modern use
gallowses	Cym V.iv.207	there were desolation of gaolers and gallowses	gallows
teeths	JC V.i.41	You showed your teethes like apes [F]	teeth

For archaic plurals,

ARCHAISMS