Hi, Friday, October 31, 2003, 7:18:44 PM, you wrote:
> Paraphrased (plagiarized) from another source... > Rare plural forms like oxen are left over from that period, with -en used > for a very few words that fought off the encroachment of -s. The only other > common plural in -en that survives in our modern language is brethren. This > came from an older spelling of brother as brether, and lost the middle e. > For a while both brothers and brethren meant the same thing, but the latter > gradually shifted sense to refer to a spiritual relationship. At one time it > was also used for professional relationships, and survives, for example, in > Masonic usage. > Photographers who love their LXen are brethren, both professionally and at > heart. or possibly children...<g> -- Cheers, Bob mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
