pluralcase

Pluralcase is a framework and software library for handling pluralization in natural language processing and software localization. It provides a formal model for representing language-specific plural categories and applying them to generated text. The term blends plural and case to reflect how many languages mark nouns differently according to number and grammatical context.

At its core, pluralcase defines plural categories such as one, few, many, and other. Each language supplies a rule set that maps numeric values to these categories. A language-agnostic engine evaluates a count and returns the corresponding plural form token, which is then combined with localized word forms in resource strings. This approach enables consistent pluralization across platforms and locales.

Usage typically involves resources that separate the numeric value from the string to be displayed. The engine selects the appropriate plural category for a given language and count, and the localization layer substitutes the correct form. For example, English commonly uses one for count equal to 1 and other for all other counts, while Russian distinguishes several categories with more complex rules.

Features commonly supported include a rule language for expressing locale-specific plural logic, a runtime engine that computes categories from numbers, and tooling to generate language packs from CLDR-style data. Pluralcase can integrate with existing localization pipelines, aiding testing, validation, and consistency across user interfaces.

See also: pluralization, internationalization, CLDR, gettext, localization frameworks.