D. Claude Katz (dclaudekatz) wrote in linguaphiles,
D. Claude Katz
dclaudekatz
linguaphiles
  • Mood: confused

Why is there no singular for "biscotti"?

I can understand why there's no singular for "spaghetti"; after all, who would want to talk about a single strand of spaghetti ("uno spaghetto"?).  But biscotti are by their nature discrete.  The English cognate "biscuit" is singular, as are English words with similar meanings, such as "cookie."  So why not "un biscotto"?  And anyhow, what is the correct way to refer to a singular item of the nature of biscotti?  If you want more than one, you can say, "I would like some biscotti" or "Vorrei dei biscotti" (assuming my Italian is correct).  But what if you only want one?  People say, "I'll have a biscotti," but in Italian that wouldn't make sense, "Vorrei un biscotti":  you can't have a singular article with a plural noun.  It would be like saying, "I'll have a cookies" in English.  But I have never heard the word "biscotto."
Tags: english, italian, plural
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  • 97 comments

  • Nose as a primarium of knowledge

    No one would have challenged my title if I had added "for dogs and other animals". However, I am writing about the human nose. After all, the…

  • Spartan accordion

    This golden "ring" was found in the Bulgarian village of Ezerovo, located near the city of Plovdiv, in 1912. ΡΟΛΙΣΤΕΝΕΑΣΝ / ΕΡΕΝΕΑΤΙΛ / ΤΕΑΝΗΣΚΟΑ…

  • Interpretation of the Legend

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