Why is pants always plural

But why? Pants are clearly a single object. Or because legs are themselves two independent objects that the pants fit the plural. Either shirt should be called shirts, or pants should be called pant. So then why are pants plural? Trousers came into the language in the seventeenth century from the Gaelic trowse , a singular word for a slightly different garment rather more like breeches; a later version of it was trews , taken to be a plural because of the final s.

Breeches has been plural throughout its recorded history, a long one it dates from at least the year According to several costume historians who have helped me with this reply, the answer to all this conventional plurality is very simple. Before the days of modern tailoring, such garments, whether underwear or outerwear, were indeed made in two parts, one for each leg.

The plural usage persisted out of habit even after the garments had become physically one piece. I think that the original trews were leg coverings - like all-round protective 'chaps' chaps from cheeks - meaning side pieces - yes? So, partial answer - the clothing that covers the legs, bottom and genitals - was originally not in one piece and a pair of trousers was thus two leg-pieces joined together - with or without crotch cover.

Depending on the climate, perhaps? Students: Are you brave enough to let our tutors analyse your pronunciation? I thought I was the only person who ever thought to ask why "jeans" are always plural. At least I am not the only weird one out there. Answer this Question. Ask a Question. Plural Of Hole-In-One? These nouns do not exist in the singular form and are usually described as "plural-only nouns". We use them with plural verbs and plural pronouns , for example:.

Many plural-only nouns are tools or items of clothing that have two parts like trousers , which have two legs. Because the above examples have two parts, we can refer to them as "pair of" or "pairs of" to quantify them. To talk about one item we can say a pair of, one pair of, my pair of, this pair of etc.

To specify more than one item we can say two pairs of, three pairs of etc.