Hmm, I think you're right. Never considered it. Same goes for other meals, too.

Actually, I believe I have seen the version "brokasts" in older books. As in "Ēst brokastu".

Possibly was changed to sound better and the form picked as some reflection of meal being a communal activity.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

In these atomised times perhaps we should return to the singular?

But why is 'durvis' always plural (if it is)? Are we considering the two places either side of the door? Or are we considering the carcass, too?

Anyway, introducing the plural of 'one' because it sounds better is beautiful, though what would Russell make of it if he had known?

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Russel would have looked at his clothes, tsked at the state of trousers and converted the pants to shorts with the help of scissors, I believe.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

the state of one's shorts is of vital concern

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

thanks, we seem to be in accord on this part of our surroundings.

i think it calls for congratulations, but i am afraid i have completed my share of bad puns on English plural-only nouns by now :)

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Me too

(Reply to this) (Parent)

Is 'water' singular or plural?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

Usually singular because it is uncountable.though sometimes we say 'waters' - as in 'still or stormy waters'. I think it is used to point out that there are different kinds of waters - especially at sea.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Yea, thik it's same with brokastis. Jo var pateikt 'otrās brokastis'. Ir citi līdzīgi vārdi: iesnas, asinis, ūsas, šausmas. Gan kā fenomens kā tāds, gan particularity. Vēl, piemēram, ledus, kam vispār nav skaitļa. Nevar teikt 'leds', bet ir ledāji vai ledus gabali.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

"Ledus" ir normāls 3. deklinācijas lietvārds, vienskaitlis - ledus, daudzskaitlis - ledi. Citi 3. deklinācijas lietvārdi ir, piemēram, lietus, tirgus, alus u.c.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

Iesnas, asinis un šausmas arī ir daudzskaitlinieki, tāpat kā brokastis un durvis. Ūsas gan nav, piemēram, var pateikt: viena kaķa ūsa.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Kāpēc nekļuvi pat lat. val. učeni?

(Reply to this) (Parent)

Vīriešu dzimtē arī ir: vieni paši; vieni vienīgi, utml.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

Hm, bet, ja padomā, tad taču angļu valodā arī ir: ones and zeros.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

taisniiba, but that would be, for example, more than one 'one' - in a table for example or in a large number.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Nu jā. Latviešu valodā "brokastis", "durvis" un daudzi citi ir daudzskaitlinieki - vārdi, kuriem ir tikai daudzskaitļa forma. Ar "viens, viena - vieni, vienas" tad var saprast, vai ir runa par daudzām, vai vienām durvīm. Iemesls tam ir tāds, ka "viens, viena" latviešu valodā bieži izpilda funkciju, ko citās valodās pilda nenoteiktie artikuli.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

We don't use the indefinite article before plural nouns. We'd just say 'doors are, for example, expensive'. We can't put 'a/an' or 'one' before plural nouns.

Of course, if you say 'the doors', then the door turns into a band.

Also a door is not a door, when it is ajar

hah hah

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

The plural indefinite article in English is "some". ;)

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

girls are bigger than others

True. But you could say 'some breakfast' or 'some breakfasts', right?

What would be the equivalent in Latvian?

kaadas brokastis?

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Latviešu valodā nav artikulu, tādēļ tiešu ekvivalentu ne vienmēr var atrast. Var skatīties, kuri vārdi latviski izpilda to pašu gramatisko uzdevumu, kuru angliski pilda artikuli. 'some breakfasts' - dažas brokastis. Taču latviski parasti neteiks: "dažas brokastis es izlaižu" vai "dažas brokastis es ieturu verandā" - tas ir gramatiski pareizi, bet nav labskanīgi. Tā vietā izmantos "dažreiz".

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

You have determiners, though. So a determiner would be a, an, the, this, that, each, any, my, your, and so on.

I was - I think - using the plural of these determiners 'dažas' (for more than one) vai 'kadas' (more than one) vai 'šīs brokastis' (for one - though I know it is 'these') in my English Latvian, as that is what we say.

I had said 'viens brokasts', and someone pulled me up on it - that's when this 'plural one' hit me. I had been avoiding it without thinking about it.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

"Also a door is not a door, when it is ajar"

Oh, took a minute, but I figured it out. Nice!

(Reply to this) (Parent)

"Iemesls tam ir tāds, ka "viens, viena" latviešu valodā bieži izpilda funkciju, ko citās valodās pilda nenoteiktie artikuli."

Spāniski nenoteiktie artikuli: un, una - unos, unas. No vārda viens - uno.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

ko tu apsveic? kopjamos invalīdus?

nu taču bļaģ lieciet (ne)cilvēkiem mieru nu cik var pist pa visurieni cik var piepisties pimpji visur tikai pežas un pimpjus redz

(Reply to this) (Thread)

Vai paēdi brokastis?

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

jā, kakas.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

Ja tev kaut kas nepatīk - tur ir durvis. Jā, vienas. =)