ablativeplural

Ablative plural is a grammatical form found in languages that mark the ablative case and also distinguish number. It denotes origin, separation, or source with a plural reference, often translating as “from the [plural]” or “out of the [plural].” In many languages, the ablative plural combines the plural marker with the ablative ending to indicate movement away from multiple items or groups.

In Latin, the ablative plural is formed with endings such as -īs for both masculine/feminine and neuter nouns in the second and other declined classes. For example, puellīs means “from the girls.” In other languages with an explicit ablative system, the exact form and position of the ending vary, but the function remains broadly the same: to express origin or separation in the plural.

Turkish illustrates a related pattern in a different typology. The base noun ev (house) takes a plural suffix to become evler (houses) and then combines with the ablative suffix to yield evlerden, meaning “from the houses.” This shows how plural and ablative markings can be fused to convey source in a single word.

Not all languages with an ablative system use a distinct ablative plural, and some languages fuse the concepts differently. The precise morphology—the endings or compounds used—varies by language family and historical development.

See also: Ablative case, plural.