As a linguistic expert with a deep understanding of the evolution of the English language, I'm delighted to delve into the fascinating history of its word forms, particularly the pluralization of nouns. The English language has a rich tapestry of plural forms, some of which have been influenced by Old English grammar and others by external languages.

The pluralization of nouns in English can be quite complex due to the language's history of borrowing and adaptation. English has inherited a variety of plural forms from Old English, which itself had a complex system of noun classes and plurals. Some nouns in Old English followed the pattern of adding an 'an' to form the plural, which is known as the 'weak' declension. Others, known as 'strong' nouns, had more irregular plural forms.

The word "fox" is indeed derived from the Old English word "fox," which was a strong noun. In Old English, the plural of "fox" was "foxas." Over time, the 'a' in "foxas" shifted to an 'e,' resulting in the modern English plural "foxes." This shift is part of a broader pattern in the English language where the vowel sounds in certain words have changed over the centuries.

Contrastingly, the word "ox" originally had the plural form "oxan" in Old English, following the 'weak' declension pattern. However, as the language evolved, the 'a' in "oxan" weakened to an 'e,' leading to the modern plural "oxen." This is an example of how the language has retained some irregularities in its plural forms, which can be traced back to Old English grammar.

It's important to note that the pluralization of nouns in English is not always predictable and can be influenced by a variety of factors, including the word's etymology, its phonological history, and even its usage in different dialects of English. While some plurals are formed by simple addition of 's' or 'es,' others, like "foxes" and "oxen," have more complex histories.

In conclusion, the plural of "fox" is not "foxen" but "foxes," reflecting the historical shift from "foxas" in Old English. The plural "foxen" is not standard in modern English and would be considered incorrect. The evolution of noun plurals in English is a testament to the language's dynamic nature and its capacity to adapt and change over time.

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Since oxa was a weak noun, its plural form (the nominative plural form) was oxan. Over the course of centuries, the a "weakened" to an e, giving us oxen. Fox, on the other hand, comes from the Old English fox, which was a strong noun; its Old English plural was foxas, whence we get foxes.Jun 21, 2014read more >>