1

Is "macrames" a correct plural form of "macrame" in English? I am seeing "macrame" being used in various places, but if I want to give two items to my friend, am I giving them "two macrame" or "two macrames"?

1 Answer 1

2

According to the Cambridge Dictionary

macramé noun [ U ]

the art of joining pieces of string together in knots to form a decorative pattern, or something made this way

The [U] stands for uncountable

Uncountable or singular noun: a noun that has no plural.

So if you want to give your friend two items, I think that the correct way of saying it is: two pieces of macramé.

5
  • Thank you for your response. I also found the following definition: Macramé is a form of textile produced using knotting (rather than weaving or knitting) techniques. Wiktionary presents it as a countable and uncountable noun (en.wiktionary.org/wiki/macrame). Oct 22, 2018 at 12:45
  • @WojtekZeglin Oxford Dictionary classifies it as a mass noun (uncountable) too. It depends on what reference you trust most.
    – RubioRic
    Oct 22, 2018 at 12:50
  • @WojtekZeglin - It's not uncommon to find a word that's listed as countable in one dictionary, but countable and uncountable in another, especially when a random plural form is rarely used. (See, e.g., the entry for equipment in Macmillan and Wiktionary.) As a footnote, research like what you wrote here belongs in your question, not in comments beneath the answers to your question.
    – J.R.
    Oct 22, 2018 at 15:37
  • 2
    macrame refers to the manner of creation like "knitting" or "tie-dye". She showed him a piece of macrame her mother had done.
    – TimR
    Oct 22, 2018 at 15:47
  • 1
    Art forms per se are not typically pluralized. We wouldn't say "She showed them her knittings" but "... her knitting" or "her pieces of knitting".
    – TimR
    Oct 22, 2018 at 16:20

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .