sheep

[xklsx]

A chicken on it's own would a chicken,however, more than one would be chickens.

so why is a single sheep a sheep and more than one still sheep?

i know this is random,but it's just made me think why!

[Ice.Maiden]

True - because you don't say "jeep" as a plural do you? The oddity of our language I suppose. Sheeps might sound peculiar, because of the s's so close together.

[Quizmonster]

The word 'sheep' has had a variety of forms over time, one of which was 'shep'. The original plural was 'sk�pu' but the 'u' was lost during Old English times. As a result, both singular and plural forms are now identical. As a matter of interest, in Northumbria in more recent times, there was a singular 'scip' and a plural 'scipo'...pronounced 'sheep' and 'sheep-o'. So, perhaps you could try to reintroduce that?

[Rooboru]

Just accept the fact that Kiwis produce and eat em by the ton. They have the best sheep down this way.
A female sheep is a ewe and and a male is ram. Strange as it may be, they are known in multiple form as ewes and rams. Sheeps, nah sorry just doesn't sound right. Try calling them that next time you are in a shearing shed down this way if you want to hear a deafening roar of laughter.... Baaa :)))

[squirtle]

Same as Deer.......a Deer..........some Deer.


Obviously not an answer but thought i'd throw it in.

[Quizmonster]

Quite a few creature-names do not change in the plural...bison, cod, deer, fish, grouse, salmon, sheep, squid, swine, for example. Others have a normal plural form but still sometimes retain the singular format. "He kept ducks on the farm" and "They were at the lake shooting duck"
The plural 'fishes' is old-fashioned or biblical nowadays, but still exists. You might hear it at a rugby match involving Wales, where the crowd sings "Bloody great fishes are w(h)ales."

[brionon]

Please remember this when you speak about the Euro.
One Euro;two Euro. NOT Euros.

[poohshunny]

Why not euros brionon? After all we say one pound and two pounds, or have I been saying it wron all these years?

[Quizmonster]

Chambers Dictionary offers both 'euro' or 'euros' - in lower case - as acceptable plural forms. I myself have never said or heard anyone say, "It cost me ten euro", for example.

[Rooboru]

Opened up a whole bucket of worms with your Euros now Brionon.
People do pretty much the same thing with 2 Kilo of steak, or how about 4 Pound 50 for a leg of sheep.
Anybody ever seen a leg of sheep for sale at the butchers?
Seems its always called a leg of lamb even if it comes from a sheep, unless of course its a leg of mutton.
They all taste great with some garlic and a bit of rosemary what ever you may call them.

[Ice.Maiden]

All this's amused me - and I was trying to think of the "deer" one, but it escaped me at the time!

[EngTeach]

tonyted, i was going to post the same thing, Same with money. Differnt forms of money would become "moneys" or is it "monies"? HMMMMM Like dollar, pound ,euro would take the plural form when describing multiple types of money. I think its "ies". i will check.

[EngTeach]

According to ask.com either ending is acceptable.