Z-plurals are plurals that would end with an s but get a z instead, for style pointz. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Z Plurals”
You know how in some hip-hop songs and albums, and maybe even on the signs for barbershops, they pluralize with a Z instead of an S?
Yes.
You know what that’s called?
Z plurals.
Z.
That’s the linguistic term for it.
It’s a Z plural, where the plural that would be otherwise formed by an S is instead replaced with a Z.
Okay, so is that Z-P-L-U-R-A-L-Z?
Yeah, sure.
Why not?
No.
So if you’re talking about my dogs and you spell it D-A-W-G-Z, that’s a Z plural.
Z plural.
But it behaves exactly the same as an S plural.
It’s just a different spelling choice that more accurately represents the sound there, the Z sound that we’re getting instead of the S sound.
So Z plural.
So the next time you see that, know that linguists are on top of that, and they have a name for it, and they’re cataloging them.
Z plurals.
I love when that happens.
