Plural àwọn
Talking About Several Things
The pattern is àwọn + noun, with the noun retaining its form.
How It Works
Àwọn precedes a noun to make multiple referents explicit. Descriptions, possessors, and demonstratives can follow the noun within the same phrase. Compare àpò, ‘a bag or bags’ according to context, with àwọn àpò, ‘bags’. The noun receives no English-style plural suffix.
Bare nouns can have singular, plural, or generic reference. A numeral already supplies a count, so a count above one does not by itself require àwọn. Distinguish this pluralizing use from independent pronoun àwọn. The textbook also documents nominal honorific use for one respected person. That socially determined singular reading is a licensed exception to ordinary plural interpretation, rather than an error or a reason to treat every àwọn phrase as singular.
Examples (3)
- àwọn àpò
Bags (noun-phrase fragment).
Àwọn precedes the noun.
- àwọn fìlà pupa
Red caps (noun-phrase fragment).
The pluralizer precedes the noun and the color follows it.
- Mo fẹ́ àpò.
I want a bag or bags, depending on context.
The bare noun does not fix the number.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- àwa / ẹ̀yin / àwọnIndependent Plural Pronouns
Distinguishes independent pronoun use.
Level 1 - yìí / yẹnThis and That
Combines plural reference with identification.
Level 1 - Counting Things
Adds an exact count.
Level 1 - Possessor wa / yín / wọnOur, Your and Their
Separates item number from possessor number.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
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