Singular, Plural and Double Plurals of English
~ Concept of Moss in the Book of Mormon ~
A MATTER OF USAAGE.—S. E. G., Baltimore, Maryland, criticises
a fellow worker's use of English somewhat severel in a letter containing this: "We have among
us a printer who posted on the new office bellows a label reading thus: 'Those who uses this
bellows will please handle with care, and when finished with its use put it in its proper
place.' None of us can convince him that he is wrong."
ANSWER.—Of course "those who uses" is wrong, but with this exception the
label is properly worded, so far as grammar is concerned, and, as our correspondent does not
specify any particular point of criticism, but writes "put it in its proper place" in capitals,
it is presumed that he thinks this grammatically wrong. "Bellows" is given in the dictionaries
as both singular and plural, and the bellows in question is one thing, therefore it is right to
speak of it as "it," and not "them." Here is what the largest dictionary of English, "A New
English Dictionary on Historical Principles," edited by Dr. Jaems A. H. Murray, says: "In later
times 'bellows' has often been construed as a singular, 'a bellows,' and occasionally has even
received a second plural inflection, 'bellowses,' which is common in the dialects." Thus,
although "bellows" is a plural form, the singluar form of which was originally used, but has
not been for a very long time, usage now makes it either singular or plural, according to
circumstances. [The Inland Printer, Volume 24, page 388, pub. 1900]
Like a number of words in the English language that end in
the letter 's', double 'ss' or some relative of such like grass, moss, and others; have been
taken to be both the singular form and plural form of the word. But in further circumstances,
they have also come to use the 'second or double plural' form as mosses and grasses as well.
That 'particular circumstance' which uses the 'second or double plural' form is when one is
speaking more technecally concerning additional types of grasses and mosses rather than just
one uniform moss or grass constituent. And as so noted above in 'the largest dictionary of
English', among the various dialects of the English language even such as the word 'bellows'
has also been known to have used upon occassion the 'second or double plural' form as would
be 'bellowses'. And as in the similiar circumstances as with moss and grass, when they are
made and used as mosses and grasses in the language, then there must be considered this
particular circumstance which 'requires' their second or double plural form.
In the Case of Mosses
"The plural form mosses is used when more than one kind of moss is meant.
The plural is moss when referring to a collection of moss plants of the same kind. Categories:
English terms with IPA pronunciation."mosses - Wiktionary
Forgive the quick succinct summary taken from the online 'Wiktionary' source, but the concise
and precise to the point of the matter here is well condensed into this conceptualization. And
with merely the subsitution of such as 'grasses/grass' and 'bellowses/bellows' the particular
circumstance of when a second or double plural form is used to give its precise intended
meaning is well stated. That is:
"The plural form bellowses is used when more than one kind of bellows is
meant. The plural is bellows when referring to a collection of bellows apparatus of the same
kind."
When the original printing of the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon came out, it stated that
'Nephi did proceed to make bellowses with which to aerate the fire to produce metal tools with
which to build a ship from raw ore.' The quick limited minded grammarians readily there to
point out that the word term 'bellowses' was improper grammar as the plural of bellows was
bellows and not bellowses. It must be supposed and understood that such vast sets of general
rules, exceptions to rules and still further forms and exceptions to the rules of English to
be considered; at some point one's academic extent of exposure runs out not to include in it
the vastness of an unabridged complete understanding of all the facts of the matters. In short
these such critics had not happened upon the 'largest English dictionary' upon which to base
their understanding and judgment and unabridged knowledge level with which to make a full
appraisal of the matter.
The first thing which must be considered is in fact did Nephi have to make various different
types of bellows in order to warrant the use of the double plural bellowses? To pursue this
line of reasoning one ought to take two separate approach considerations. First are there
indeed different types of bellows? And he quick answer here is yes. There are 'foot opperated
bellows' which were used in the times of Nephi in the smeltering process of raw ore into
the pure usable forms of metal. There are two hand opperated bellows which are used to blow
a fire by one person which one sees in conjunction with a fireplace. And there are variously
make one arm/hand operated bellows which allows such as a blacksmith to blow air into the
fire while he forms the solid metal ingots into actual formed shapes of various tools.
Smelting and then Forging
The second approach is to deduce and conclude that Nephi would have had to go through more than
one simple process to produce tools from raw ore. And while that seems to already be partially
answered in the consideration of there being different types of bellows to be used with
different processes, it is still needed to establish that Nephi indeed did need to take the raw
ore through various states to the finished form of working metal tools. And yes, there would
have to be at least two separate phases of this production from raw ore to finished metal tool,
if not more. The two simplest examples would be the process of smeltering the raw ore into metal
ingots and then at least a second process of pounding and forming the metal ingot into the
finished form of the usable metal tool.
The common type of bellows used for the smelting of raw ore into usable metal ingots would be
in Nephi's day the use of the foot bellows. And that alone would likely include the making
of a number of sets of foot bellows, one set of two bellows per each of the bellows workers'
two feet. Remember Nephi emphasized the his absolute need to have the help of his 'brothers',
plural to aid in the process. It was not just a one man operation. And after the smelting
process produced the pure metal ingots, those ingots would need to be further processed, even
it the smelted metal had been poured into various molds of various types, to the finished form
of the usable tool. This would include the 'smith' worker's tooling the metal into the precise
shape and form of the tool. Such tools as a hammer/malet, a saw or wood shaver, axes, wedge
spliters, chisels, knifes or what have you that they would have used to build a ship.
As God told Nephi to build the ship after that manner which God would show him and not after
the manner of men, it is hard to say whether Nephi's ocean vessel was much like the Phoenician
ships of tarshis or the Egyptian ships that sailed the nile and mediterainian or something quite
entirely different. And though Nephi would make the metal tools, are the tools like the
Egyptians or Phoenicians had to build their ships or again somewhat different? While living for
matter of likely years just three day's journey from Elath/Aqaba/EzionGeber, it seems likely
that Nephi knew where with he spoke when he said it was not after the manner of man, that is the
manner of ship building which he would have been witness to is the shipyards of Elath. And
whether it was even a single hull vessel or a type of out rigger with as many as up to three
such rigger hulls upon which to layout the vessel's design. Certainly the multiple oared
vessel would not be the type of selection for they did not have the oars men to row it. A
sailing vessel of some type seems most logical.
Note of Disclaimer: The writer of this article is well aware of the 'fact' that English Grammar
does not currently accept as a noun the word 'bellowses' in association with the noun 'bellows'
and its various diffinitions and meanings, particularly with that meaning of an air pumping or
blowing apperatis to feed a fire with an abundance of oxygen to increase the heat tempurature of
the burning fuel to increased levels in order to smelt, forge and work with metals and metal ore.
What the purpose here is to give a logical reason why, like or the such nouns with acceptable
double plurals such as moss and mosses or grass and grasses; why there is a cause, purpose and
logical reason and even a need for there to be an acceptable double plural form of bellows as
bellowses. To that end the article is written in the tone and flavor that there is indeed an
acceptable form of bellows as being bellowses as presented in the 1830 original printing of the
Book of Mormon and to consider it not just a printer's error of some unlearned transcription
error. That is in the 'general rules' of the accepted uses of 'double or second plurals' there
is a true meaning and application to be consided that those same communicative rules of logic
which permint such useage of mosses and grasses, could and possibly even should be the case in
the communicative effort and acceptace of the word 'bellowses' in the Book of Mormon as well.
And this because of the efforts to have the Book of Mormon meet every criteria of acceptable
English grammar has the real threat of robbing the text of it possible fuller and increased
informative comveiance of information. That is, given the possible added perspective that an
acceptable double plural use of bellows as bellowses, just what addition information is given
that is not give by just the use of the word bellows.
Note of Addendum
Nephi had written of having a 'steel bow' which critics have attach for the want of having a
real life of their own I suppose. The fact is the Egyptians, from whence much of the Israelite
customs, learning and technologies were highly associated with, had had 'crude steel swords'
from at least around 900 BC. And the laminating or the making of the bow by a number of layers
of materials is well documented as well. There is nothing which would stand in the way of a so
constructed such laminated layered bow from having a layer or even core of a ribbon of steel to
enhance the bow's strength of pull and push of the force of expelling the arrow from the string
of the bow. That such a bow might have had its manufacture in connection with the Timnah mines
metal works associated closely with the location of Elath/Aqaba/EzionGeber is quite possible if
not probable. And at Nephi's word even support by a circumstancial fact of scriptural evidence. |