Linguists warn about overuse of plural forms in Latvian language
Latvian linguists say words that should normally appear only in the singular are increasingly being used in plural form. The trend was discussed on Latvian Radio's program "Kā labāk dzīvot".
On Latvian Radio's program "Kā labāk dzīvot" (How to Live Better), linguists addressed a noticeable trend in the use of the Latvian language — words that, according to language norms, should be used only or mainly in the singular are increasingly appearing in plural form.
Examples from everyday speech
The topic was discussed by Andrejs Veisbergs, professor, linguist and translator at the University of Latvia, together with Dite Liepa, lecturer at Riga Stradiņš University, doctor of philology and linguist. As examples, they cited words such as "atbildības" (responsibilities), "uzvedības" (behaviors) and even "veselības" (healths) being used in plural, noting that such usage does not fully conform to language norms.
The linguists emphasized that such errors are appearing in the language more and more often. At the same time, they noted that language is a living and constantly evolving phenomenon, making it important to maintain a balance between upholding language norms and understanding natural processes of linguistic development.
