We have spent some time in the South, and we are familiar with the Southern dialect you speak of. [duplicate], Correct usage of persons (vs. people), Improving the copy in the close modal and post notices - 2023 edition, New blog post from our CEO Prashanth: Community is the future of AI, Correct usage of "persons" (vs. "people"), English nouns whose plural form differs from singular. contact person noun (plural: contact persons) Ansprechpartner m (often used) ( plural: Ansprechpartner ) The right contact person is not available at the moment. To be verb conjugation. The peoples Peoples for Ethnic Groups and Nationalities. A hotel chains website offers options for three and more persons. Elevators carry signs saying, Occupancy by more than eight persons is unlawful. The Department of Justice has a database called the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. People is the plural form that most people are most comfortable with most of the time. . Then there are questions about capitalization, particularly for terms like people of color and Indigenous Peoples. A person who acts as a link to assist communication or cooperation between people. It only takes a minute to sign up. In some cases,personsis also used to refer to humans on an individual basis, rather than a collective basis. For example: So why do we still have persons if people is the plural form of person? Here is another trio of words that are often the cause of some confusion: There, Their and They . Meanwhile,peoplesis only used to refer to distinct ethnic groups, oftentimes within the same region. 3. contact. 2023 Grammarist, a Found First Marketing company. Is there a weapon that has the heavy property and the finesse property (or could this be obtained)? That is interesting. One moose, two moose. I saw a person standing on the dock. Which was the first Sci-Fi story to predict obnoxious "robo calls"? Some people dream of success, while other people get up every morning and make it happen. The word people is appropriate in collective references to groups of individuals, such as the citizens of a particular country or members of a recognized group. the point of contact between the bat and the ball [=the point where the bat and ball touch each other] a disease that is spread by sexual contact. "Person" here means your body or the clothing you are wearing or bags you are carrying. If necessary, use the "Search" box on the right side of the page to find a post closely related to your question or comment.Your email address will not be published. Always use the wordpeoplewhen referring to the people of a single nationality or ethnic group. Most often in causal conversation, you will hear people used. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Why in the Sierpiski Triangle is this set being used as the example for the OSC and not a more "natural"? Peopleandpersonhave separate Latin origins, and they came to English at different times by different paths, but there are examples of people used as a plural of person from as early as the 14th century. The most simplified definition of the term plural that includes all people who take the label is "someone who shares the same physical body with other individuals.". people: Where individual persons, or a number of such, are intended, this word should be discarded in favor of persons.Frank Vizetelly, A Desk-Book of Errors in English, 1920, The fourth edition of Strunk and Whites The Elements of Style still contains a cautionary note on not using people in this circumstance: The word people is best not used with words of number, in place of persons. In practical terms, using peoples in this way can help to prevent erasure and homogenization of groups that are often lumped together in ways that obscure their specific, complex identities. were all wookies. One could say one person or fifty person and although the syntax would sound irregular, the listener or reader would none the less grasp the meaning. That practice did not become standard, and nowadays, the plural persons is only considered correct in legal contexts and, occasionally, when deliberately referring to humans individually rather than collectively. Therefore, is a helpful term. I always use a sign states something. Grammar designating or of the category of number that refers to more than one person or thing, or in languages having dual number, more than two noun Grammar 4. the plural number 5. the plural form of a word 5. Use of the word persons to describe a small group of people is a matter of style and preference. Add ${headword} to one of your lists below, or create a new one. Comment, #3 Author Melanie 04 May 09, 17:25; Comment: Yes, you can say contact persons. [count] 1. [Daily Mail]. the Smith clan the Smiths Jill and Sam Clarence the Clarences Mr. and Mrs. Jones the Joneses the Fernandez family the Fernandezes In most cases, is the correct term to use as a plural for the word. The noun person is singular, but the pronoun their is plural. The most common plural of "person" is "people." If you have only one smile in you give it to the people you love. Never usepersonsin business settings. is only used in cases when it is necessary to distinguish between ethnic groups within the same geographical or cultural context. Are all yall going to the Christmas party would mean the entire group. People vs. Italics? How do I stop the Flickering on Mode 13h? middleman. It is helpful because nothing is collective where the law is concerned; individuals are prosecuted, not groups. in formal writing that sounds legal, like public notices and rules. (This is considered equally acceptable.). In this article, well address the frequently asked questions surrounding persons, people, and peoples, including: Both persons and people can be used as plural forms of person. Random House Dictionary. Can someone explain why this point is giving me 8.3V? So far as I know, there is no numerical rule of when to use yall vs. all yall. Yes, you is singular and yall is plural, but all yall is meant to include an entire group, whereas yall would be a portion (assuming a large group. There are few instances where youd use all yall, but I suppose one would be if youre at a meeting of say ten people and youre talking to two friends. For example, "Many people like ice cream," but "Corporations are considered persons under the U.S. Consitution." . S1E0 Welcome to First Person Plural: Emotional Intelligence & Beyond! There is no rule that applies to this issue. Persons, people, and peoples: we know what they mean, but the relationship between them can be confusing. When referring to more than one distinct ethnic group, use the word. What were the most popular text editors for MS-DOS in the 1980s? We only use it in rather legalistic contexts: Any person or persons found in possession of illegal substances will be prosecuted. To refer to groups of human beings or humans in general, we use people: I saw three people standing on the corner. In modern English, people is the de facto plural of person. Thanks for writing. is considered archaic, so unless youre doing some legal writing, its best to avoid it. While the word choice is likely a matter of style and preference, we understand your point that person can suggest a greater emphasis on the individual even in a plural context. A more timely debate these days would be people vs. folks. Avoid it completely in business contexts. Contact person definition: Your contact details or number are information such as a phone number where you can be. English Verb Conjugation: Person and Number. How to choose between two words that seem to mean the same thing, Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. ), Six people Case is determined . However, modern style guides tend to prefer people where earlier guides preferred persons . Essentially it's a fancy way of saying "with oneself. Six persons As far as the law is concerned, nothing is collective. Most people dont use persons, but the sticklers say there are times when we should. People is generally the correct term to use when referring to more than one person but there are a few important exceptions when you should use persons instead. The Douglas County Police Department has seventeen open missing persons ", In legal contexts, many words are often used differently than normal everyday English (e.g. Your writing, at its best mediator. Three people were interviewed for the job, but only one person had the right qualifications and experience. Additionally: Public notices issued by a government entity as part of a legal proceeding are written in a very formal manner that includes legalese, so the word persons is often included. Those who retain our services will be charged a monthly fee. Twenty people protested in Washington, D.C. today. https://www.learnersdictionary.com/qa/What-is-the-difference-between-people-and-peoples- People/peoples and people/peoples are correct. No more than six persons There are many instances in which this difference may be observed, often when the two words are side by side. The Word Nerd: Six Pitfalls Writers (and Others) Should Avoid, https://www.learnersdictionary.com/qa/What-is-the-difference-between-people-and-peoples-. The word people is almost always the correct term when referring to more than one human being. You will get everything from one compe tent contact person who will also be at your disposal for any further questions which may arise. This sense is the one used in phrases such as "carrying a . Persons would be used as a the plural of person when you are not referring to a group collectively but to a collection of individuals. Many traditionalists continue to feel that the plural pronoun their is not grammatically correct when it refers to a singular noun, in this case person. (Also see our recent post Singular They Part II.) We prefer to reword the sentence to Shoplifting can leave people with records and affect their lives. The Chicago Manual of Style offers nine techniques for achieving gender neutrality: 1. Thoughts? People should always be used when a collective noun referring to the entirety of a group or nation (i.e., "the French People") is called for. Once upon a time, the difference was . Peoples refers to more than one group of people who live in the same geographical area, as in: Like persons, peoples has such a specific context that youre not likely to see it anywhere else. Group of people With Persons vs People Definitions, People: Varijanta / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Background: Tolchik / iStock / Getty Images Plus. The examples that it beings are not clear for the purpose of the understanding the plural form "persons". The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? in this context sounds silly and a bit stuffy. In this context, the word people is being used as a collective singular noun rather than the plural form of person. In a political context,personsis correct within the expression displaced persons. For example, you might hear someone say, Visas will be expedited for displaced persons.. As we've seen above, the word people is an irregular plural, which indicates the plural of the word person.We speak about one person but many people.Consider this example: The person who brings us food in a restaurant is called a server. protested on the White House lawn this Saturday. Why is it shorter than a normal address? 13th century, in the meaning defined at . no longer need to abide by the one-child policy. So when presented with the choice of people or persons to describe a multitude of humans, many people begin to chew their fingernails in nervous agitation. There was a time in history when it was put forward that grammatically, persons should be the preferred plural any time more than one person was referred to as a countable noun, and people should be preferred for uncountable nouns, also called mass nouns. Generic Doubly-Linked-Lists C implementation. The word people refers to more than one person. Required fields are marked *. One political context in which persons is correct is in the expression displaced persons. A technicality: 'people' is a plural of 'person' only by the fiddle of suppletion (a fudge to fill an observed gap). You may want to review our Rules for Writing Numbers to help you decide when to spell out numbers and when to use numerals. 1. Example sentence: Several people in the baggage claim area are holdings signs saying Smith Family or Harrington.'. Spelled or Spelt: Whats the Right Spelling? Regardless of intent, though, statements that are about individuals with a common identity can lead to overgeneralizations or stereotyping, so its always best to consider whether the individuals common identity is an essential part of what youre trying to say. Funny Toasts For Every Occasion (That Will Actually Get Laughs), Students Vs. Students: A Lesson On The Differences. is only acceptable in legal contexts. Repeat the noun: a writer should be careful not to needlessly antagonize readers, because her credibility will suffer becomes a writer should be careful not to needlessly antagonize readers, because the writers credibility will suffer. The word people, is so very general, that it cannot be connected with a determinate number; as for instance, four, five, or six people; but that of persons may. Outside of the phrase on X's person, people is the plural form and should be used. Persons is especially associated with its use in legal language, in which its often used rather than people to ensure clarity by emphasizing that the text is referring to multiple individuals, as opposed to a group as a whole, as in Occupancy is limited to 200 persons or Any person or persons found to be in violation of these rules shall be prohibited from participating. Out of the ordinary: ways of saying that something is unusual (2), Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2023. Bill and Susan are only able to invite 50, Law enforcement officials are seeking information on the whereabouts of Bill Smith and Cathy Rowen, who are a, Public notices that have to be filed as part of bankruptcy proceedings use the word. "More than one," although plural in meaning, always takes a singular verb. No, we're just people, thanks.' According to plurals, then, a plural human being isn't a person, but a co-embodied group of people. Learn more about collective nouns and how to use them. First Known Use. If of six people five went away, how many people would be left? What was the actual cockpit layout and crew of the Mi-24A. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. The fascinating story behind many people's favori Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz! But the tide of opinion has shifted enough that you should feel comfortable using people in most cases where you have a choice. , which means the people in the sense of a group from the same nation, community, or ethnic group. So we might estimate that a hundred people were there. Person, persons or people ? Would Shoplifting can leave a person with a record and affect their life not be correct, though, given the new ways to address gender? In legal and bureaucratic documents "persons" is the usual plural in all meanings. Next week we are employing 2 more people. I started doubting the people in this situation, and it brought me here. To be pleasant at table, none should be admitted but people of good humour: neither should there be more than seven or eight persons.John Trusler Distinction between Words esteemed Synonymous in the English Language, 1776. It usually reserved for legal and very formal texts (like newspapers) and . Cactuses, platypuses, and walruses are correct plural forms. People can be translated as persons or culture, so we can say peoples referring to persons of different ethnicity. When we say persons, says Wilson Folletts Modern American Usage, we are thinking, or ought to be, of onesindividuals with identities; whereas when we say people we should mean a large group, an indefinite and anonymous mass.. Find more words! Both of the wordspeopleandpersoncome from Latin, but they are each derived from different Latin words. Person and people both derive from Latin, but from different words. Was Stephen Hawking's explanation of Hawking Radiation in "A Brief History of Time" not entirely accurate? Privacy Policy. Why dont more people English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. While a living person can state or make a statement, a sign can state or make a statement. , which means the people and refers to a group from the same community or nation. It is helpful because nothing is collective where the law is concerned; individuals are prosecuted, not groups.

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