Skip to main content

A brief history of plural word...s - John McWhorter

893,798 Views

8,774 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

All it takes is a simple S to make most English words plural. But it hasn't always worked that way (and there are, of course, exceptions). John McWhorter looks back to the good old days when English was newly split from German -- and books, names and eggs were beek, namen and eggru!

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator John McWhorter
  • Animator Lippy
  • Narrator John McWhorter

More from Playing with Language