Childre

/ˈtʃɪldər/ noun

Definition

An archaic or dialectal plural form of 'child,' used in older English texts.

Etymology

Old English cildru or cildern, one of the original plural forms of cild (child); modern English eventually standardized to 'children' which oddly keeps the -ren suffix from this ancient form.

Kelly Says

English plurals are a mess of history—'childre' shows us that even 'children' is actually leftover from an old plural pattern that didn't quite stick around completely.

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