תְּחִלִּים, as in the headings of the printed editions, as well as סֵ֫פֶר תְּהִלּוֹת the Book of Psalms); אִגֶּ֫רֶת a letter, plur. אִנְּרוֹת; בְּאֵר a well, plur. בְּאֵרוֹת. Feminines in ־ִית form their plural in ־ִיּוֹת, e.g. מִצְרִית an Egyptian woman, plur. מִצְרִיּוֹת; and those in וּת either make ־ֻיּוֹת, as מַלְכוּת kingdom, plur. מַלְכֻיּוֹת, Dn 8 (cf. חֲנֻיּוֹת cells, Jer 37), or are inflected like עֵֽדְוֹת testimonies (pronounced ‛ēdhewôth for ‛ēdhŭwôth).
[k] It is only from a mistake or disregard of these feminine endings ־וּת and ־ִית that some words ending with them form their plural by the addition of ־ִים or ־וֹת, e.g. חֲנִית spear, plur. חֲנִיתִים and חֲנִיתוֹת; זְנוּת whoredom, plur. זְנוּתִים (by the side of זְנוּנִים); אַלְמְנוּתִים widowhood; שְׁחִיתוֹת pits, כְּסָתוֹת amulets (if connected with Assyr. kâsu, to bind), &c.
[l] The termination -ôth stands primarily for -âth (which is the form it has in Arab., Eth., in the constr. st. of Western Aramaic, in Eastern Syriac, and also in Assyrian; on the change of â into an obscure ô, see § 9 q). On the other hand, it is doubtful whether this âth is to be regarded as a lengthened and stronger form of the singular fem. ending ăth (cf. § 80 b).
How the changeable vowels of a noun are shortened or become Šewâ in consequence of the addition of the plural endings is explained in §§ 92–5.
[m] 3. Words which in the singular are used both as masculine and feminine (§ 122 d), often have in the plural parallel forms with the masculine and feminine terminations, e.g. עָב cloud, plur. עָבִים and עָבוֹת; and each form may be treated either as masculine or feminine, according to the usage of the particular word.—But even those words, of which the gender is invariable, sometimes have both plural forms, e.g. דּוֹר masc. a generation, plur. דּוֹרִים and דּוֹרוֹת; שָׁנָה fem. a year, plur. שָׁנִים and שָׁנוֹת (see the Rem.). In these words the gender of both plural forms remains the same as in the singular, e.g. אֲרִי masc. a lion, plur. אֲרָיוֹת musc., Zp 3, דּוֹרוֹת musc., Jb 42.
[n] Sometimes usage makes a distinction between the two plural forms of the same word. Thus, יָמִים days, שָׁנִים years are the usual, but יָמוֹת (only twice, in the constr. st. Dt 32, ψ 90) and שָׁנוֹת (also only in the constr. st. and before suffixes) are rarer poetic forms.
[o] A difference of meaning appears in several names of members of the body, the dual (see § 88) denoting the living members themselves, while the plur. in וֹת expresses something like them, but without life (§ 122 u), e.g. יָדַ֫יִם hands, יָדוֹת artificial hands, also e.g. the arms of a throne; כַּפַּ֫יִם hands, כַּפּוֹת handles (Lat. manubria); פַּ֫עַם foot, פְּעָמוֹת artificial feet (of the ark), קַרְנַ֫יִם horns, קְרָנוֹת horns (of the altar); עֵינַ֫יִם eyes, עֲיָנוֹת fountains; cf. also אֲרָיִים lions, אֲרָיוֹת the figures of lions on Solomon’s throne, תָּמָר palm, תִּֽמֹרָה a palm-like column, plur. תִּֽמֹרִים and תִּֽמֹרוֹת.
[p] 4. A considerable number of masculines form their plural in וֹת, while many feminines have a plural in ־ִים. The gender of the singular, however, is as a rule retained in the plural.
