As an expert in the field of linguistics and etymology, I'm often asked about the plural forms of words, especially those that have irregular plurals. The question about the plural of "wolves" is particularly interesting because it delves into the historical development of the English language and the changes it has undergone over time.
The English language has borrowed heavily from other languages, and the word "wolf" is no exception. It comes from the Old English word "wulf," which itself has Germanic roots. In Old English, the plural form of "wulf" was indeed "wulfas," which is where the modern English word "wolves" comes from. However, the transition from "wulfas" to "wolves" is not a straightforward one, and it involves several linguistic shifts.
Firstly, it's important to understand that Old English, also known as Anglo-Saxon, was spoken from around the 5th to the 11th century. It was heavily influenced by the Germanic languages, which is why we see the pattern of adding "-as" to form plurals, as in "wulfas." This is a characteristic of the strong declension system in Germanic languages, where nouns are declined for case, gender, and number.
Over time, the Old English language evolved into Middle English, which was spoken from the 11th to the 15th century. This period saw significant changes in the language, largely due to the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Normans brought with them a form of Old French, which heavily influenced the vocabulary and grammar of English. One of the changes that occurred was a simplification of the plural system. Instead of the "-as" ending, the "-es" ending became more common for plurals, as it was easier to pronounce and remember.
This brings us to the modern English word "wolves." The shift from "wulfas" to "wolves" is an example of the Great Vowel Shift, which was a major change in the pronunciation of English vowels that began in the 14th century and continued into the 17th century. During this time, long vowels in certain positions were raised to a higher position in the mouth, and short vowels were often lengthened or diphthongized. The "a" in "wulfas" was affected by this shift, changing its pronunciation to a long "o" sound, which is reflected in the modern spelling "wolves."
It's also worth noting that the pattern described in the reference material, where a single consonant is followed by a vowel and then the plural is formed by adding an "-s," is a common one in English. Examples include "knife" (plural "knives"), "roof" (plural "roofs"), "life" (plural "lives"), and "hoof" (plural "hoofs" or "hooves"). However, this pattern is not universal, and there are many exceptions to it.
In conclusion, the plural of "wolves" is a fascinating example of the complex history of the English language and the various influences that have shaped it. From the Old English "wulfas" to the modern "wolves," the word has undergone significant changes due to linguistic evolution, the Great Vowel Shift, and the simplification of the plural system. Understanding these historical developments can provide valuable insights into the structure and usage of the English language today.

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Which meant in practice that if wulf was the singular, wulfas was the plural "wolves". There were many nouns of this form: cn--f ("knife", plural cn--fas), hr--f ("roof", plural hr--fas), l--f ("life", plural l--fas), h--f ("hoof", plural h--fas)...read more >>