Editing Grammatical number (section)

===Exceptions===
{{See also|Synesis|Plurale tantum}}
Sometimes, grammatical number will not represent the actual quantity, a [[form-meaning mismatch]]. For example, in Ancient Greek [[Neuter gender|neuter]] plurals took a singular verb.<ref>[https://chs.harvard.edu/CHS/article/display/6417.learning-ancient-greek "Learn Ancient Greek: 11_Unit 2 Agreement Infinitives Questions"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507182200/https://chs.harvard.edu/CHS/article/display/6417.learning-ancient-greek |date=2018-05-07 }}, video tutorial by Leonard Muellner and Belisi Gillespie at [[Center for Hellenic Studies]] at [[Harvard University]], published January 25, 2018; retrieved May 30, 2018</ref> The plural form of a pronoun may also be applied to a single individual as a sign of importance, respect or generality, as in the ''[[pluralis majestatis]]'', the [[T–V distinction]], and the [[generic you|generic "you"]], found in many languages, or, in English, when using the [[singular they|singular "they"]] for [[gender-neutrality]].

In [[Arabic grammar|Arabic]], the plural of a non-human noun (one that refers to an animal or to an [[animacy|inanimate]] entity regardless of whether the noun is grammatically masculine or feminine in the singular) is treated as feminine singular—this is called the inanimate plural. For example:

{{block indent |left=1.5 |text={{plainlist}}
* {{lang|ar|رجل جميل}} ({{lang|ar-Latn|rajul jamīl}}) 'beautiful/handsome man': {{lang|ar-Latn|rajul}} (man) is masculine singular, so it takes the masculine singular adjective {{lang|ar-Latn|jamīl}}.
* {{lang|ar|بيت جميل}} ({{lang|ar-Latn|bayt jamīl}}) 'beautiful house': {{lang|ar-Latn|bayt}} (house) is masculine singular, so it takes the masculine singular {{lang|ar-Latn|jamīl}}.
* {{lang|ar|كلب جميل}} ({{lang|ar-Latn|kalb jamīl}}) 'beautiful dog': {{lang|ar-Latn|kalb}} (dog) is masculine singular, so it takes the masculine singular {{lang|ar-Latn|jamīl}}.
* {{lang|ar|بنت جميلة}} ({{lang|ar-Latn|bint jamīlah}}) 'beautiful girl': {{lang|ar-Latn|bint}} is feminine singular, so it takes the feminine singular {{lang|ar-Latn|jamīlah}}.
* {{lang|ar|سيارة جميلة}} ({{lang|ar-Latn|sayyārah jamīlah}}) 'beautiful car': {{lang|ar-Latn|sayyārah}} is feminine singular, so it takes the feminine singular {{lang|ar-Latn|jamīlah}}.
* {{lang|ar|رجال جميلون}} ({{lang|ar-Latn|rijāl jamīlūn}}) 'beautiful/handsome men': {{lang|ar-Latn|rijāl}} (men) is masculine plural, so it takes the masculine plural {{lang|ar-Latn|jamīlūn}}.
* {{lang|ar|بنات جميلات}} ({{lang|ar-Latn|banāt jamīlāt}}) 'beautiful girls': {{lang|ar-Latn|banāt}} is feminine plural, so it takes the feminine plural {{lang|ar-Latn|jamīlāt}}.
{{endplainlist}}}}
but
{{block indent |left=1.5 |text={{plainlist}}
* {{lang|ar|بيوت جميلة}} ({{lang|ar-Latn|buyūt jamīlah}}) 'beautiful houses': {{lang|ar-Latn|buyūt}} (houses) is non-human plural, and so takes the inanimate plural (feminine singular) {{lang|ar-Latn|jamīlah}}.
* {{lang|ar|سيارات جميلة}} ({{lang|ar-Latn|sayyārāt jamīlah}}) 'beautiful cars': {{lang|ar-Latn|sayyārāt}} is non-human plural, and so takes the inanimate plural {{lang|ar-Latn|jamīlah}}.
* {{lang|ar|كلاب جميلة}} ({{lang|ar-Latn|kilāb jamīlah}}) 'beautiful dogs': {{lang|ar-Latn|kilāb}} is non-human plural, and so takes the inanimate plural {{lang|ar-Latn|jamīlah}}.
{{endplainlist}}}}