Formation of the Plurals of Words compounded of a Noun and an Adjective.
Adjectives have no plural number. Therefore, in a word compounded of a noun and an adjective, the s denoting the plural number is attached to the end of the noun, as follows:—
| Governor-general | Governors-general. |
| Attorney-general | Attorneys-general. |
| Court-martial | Courts-martial. |
But where the adjective is taken substantively, the mark of the plural will properly follow it. For example: Brigadier-generals, major-generals, lieutenant-generals.
Words compounded of a noun and the adjective full form their plurals thus: spoonfuls, cupfuls, bucketfuls, handfuls, mouthfuls.