{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.plurale-tantum","code":"thing-q138246","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q138246/","name":"plurale tantum","alternateNames":[],"kind":"thing","status":"research-draft","version":"0.2.0-wave.1","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Cross-cutting context","entryKind":"thing","plane":"XCT","domain":["XCT.REL"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"A noun that occurs only in the plural form, such as scissors, trousers, glasses and news in English, or nouns like Latin arma and German Ferien, even when referring to a single item; a plurale tantum has a defective paradigm lacking a singular, and the counterpart is the singulare tantum.","purpose":"Let an agent explain pluralia tantum by language, grammar and usage, help with agreement and counting, and support translation.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["No singular form","Plural agreement","Counted with classifiers such as a pair of","Varies by language"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"identify","name":"Identify","description":"Which nouns.","layers":[{"id":"list","name":"List","description":"Examples.","findings":[{"id":"list-finding","name":"List","description":"Examples.","questions":[{"text":"Is this noun a plurale tantum in this language, according to dictionaries?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Does it have a rare singular?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"classify","name":"Classify","description":"Kinds.","findings":[{"id":"classify-finding","name":"Classify","description":"Kinds.","questions":[{"text":"Which kind of plurale tantum is it, such as a paired object or collective?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Why does it lack a singular?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"usage","name":"Usage","description":"Grammar.","layers":[{"id":"agreement","name":"Agreement","description":"Verb agreement.","findings":[{"id":"agreement-finding","name":"Agreement","description":"Agreement.","questions":[{"text":"Which verb form agrees with this noun?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Are there exceptions such as news?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"counting","name":"Counting","description":"Counting items.","findings":[{"id":"counting-finding","name":"Counting","description":"Counting.","questions":[{"text":"How is a single item counted, such as a pair of scissors?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which classifier is used in this language?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"languages","name":"Languages","description":"Comparison.","layers":[{"id":"compare","name":"Compare","description":"Across languages.","findings":[{"id":"compare-finding","name":"Compare","description":"Comparison.","questions":[{"text":"Is the equivalent noun plural-only in the target language too?","kind":"boundary"},{"text":"How should number be handled in translation?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"learners","name":"Learners","description":"Teaching.","findings":[{"id":"learners-finding","name":"Learners","description":"Teaching.","questions":[{"text":"How can pluralia tantum be taught with examples?","kind":"action"},{"text":"Which errors are common?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"theory","name":"Theory","description":"Linguistics.","layers":[{"id":"paradigm","name":"Paradigm","description":"Defective paradigms.","findings":[{"id":"paradigm-finding","name":"Paradigm","description":"Defective paradigms.","questions":[{"text":"How do linguists describe defective paradigms?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which other defects exist?","kind":"definition"}]}]},{"id":"history","name":"History","description":"Origins.","findings":[{"id":"history-finding","name":"History","description":"Origins.","questions":[{"text":"How did this noun become plural-only, according to etymological sources?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is usage changing?","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Explain pluralia tantum and give examples from stated languages.","Help learners use these nouns correctly."],"mustNot":["Present usage in one language or dialect as universal.","Correct a quoted text to fit a grammar rule without noting it."],"requiresHuman":["Changing a published text to normalise grammar."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Language variation should not be stigmatised as error.","Learners rely on accurate grammar."],"affectedParties":["Learners and teachers","Speakers of dialects"]},"owners":{"steward":"Nobody: a grammatical category held in common.","roles":[],"masterSystems":[]},"relations":[{"target":"Q11803002","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"Q503992","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"defective paradigm","type":"related","note":"category"},{"target":"agreement-relation","type":"related","note":"grammar"},{"target":"singulare tantum","type":"related","note":"counterpart"},{"target":"second declension","type":"related","note":"inflection"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.plurale-tantum","Wikidata: Q138246 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138246)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"not-applicable","items":[]},"recognition":{"applicability":"optional","items":["Dictionary labels such as pl. only","Words like scissors and trousers","Mass nouns are often singular only","Not physical; words in dictionaries marked as plural only."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["identify pluralia tantum in a language","handle verb agreement and counting","translate between languages with different patterns","explain the concept to learners"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Wrong verb agreement","Mistranslation of number","Assuming English patterns elsewhere"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Dictionary and style guide conventions"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Grammar, writing, translation and language learning.","paired objects such as scissors and trousers","collective and event nouns","place-name pluralia tantum","Latin and other classical examples","nouns plural in one language but singular in another"]}},"sources":[],"openQuestions":["Should language-specific lists be separate entries?","How should dictionaries be linked?","How should translation equivalents be recorded?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q138246/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q138246/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-11T15:11:43Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"not-applicable","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"missing"},"notes":{"interaction.properties":"Plane XCT: no invented physical properties.","sources":"Written from model knowledge without web access; claims are unverified."},"score":0.938}}