Plural Forms
Plural forms of the surnames follow the pattern of the masculine and feminine forms respectively, if such exist. For the married couple or the whole family (bi-gender situation: mixture of males and females), the masculine plural is used. Plural forms of the names quite rarely follow the patterns of regular declension, even if the name is identical with a common name. Uneducated people often use plural of the common names for plural of surnames, and the feminine plural form of the adjectival surnames (felt as a neutral one, in fact non-existent) in bi-gender situation.
| Surname masculine | Plural masculine or both masculine and feminine | Surname feminine | Plural feminine | Plural of the common name (for comparison) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kowalski | Kowalscy | Kowalska | Kowalskie | --- |
| Wilk (translating to 'wolf') | Wilkowie | --- (Wilkówna, Wilkowa) | --- (Wilkówne, Wilkowe) | wilki, wilcy |
| Zięba (translating to 'finch') | Ziębowie | --- (Ziębianka, Ziębina, new: Ziębówna, Ziębowa) | --- (Ziębianki, Ziębiny, new: Ziębówny, Ziębowe) | zięby |
Read more about this topic: Polish Name
Famous quotes containing the word forms:
“The catalogue of forms is endless: until every shape has found its city, new cities will continue to be born. When the forms exhaust their variety and come apart, the end of cities begins.”
—Italo Calvino (1923–1985)