Flertallsordning

Flertallsordning is a linguistic term used in Scandinavian languages to describe the system governing the formation of plural nouns and the way plurality interacts with other parts of speech and syntax. The concept covers both the morphology of plural forms and the syntactic rules for agreement with adjectives, determiners, numerals and, in some languages, verbs.

Plural formation patterns vary across languages and dialects. Common strategies include suffixation (adding plural markers), vowel changes or stem modifications (ablaut or internal alteration), irregular or suppletive plurals, and cases where the same form is used for both singular and plural with plural indicated by determiners or context. Some nouns have a regular plural, others show irregular patterns, and a number of nouns have zero plural forms or identical singular and plural shapes.

Agreement and determiners are integral to flertallsordning. Adjectives and numerals typically agree with the plural noun they modify, and the definite or indefinite status can influence the exact plural form or article used. In some languages, definite plural is expressed by attaching a suffix to the plural form or by a separate determiner or construction.

Variation exists within and across languages and dialects. For example, Norwegian has distinct pluralization patterns in Bokmål and Nynorsk, and even within dialects there can be multiple plural classes. While the specifics differ, flertallsordning provides a cohesive framework for describing how plurality is marked on nouns and how this marking interacts with other elements of sentence structure.