Dusting Off Nouns Ending in "-io"
As we inventory the curious objects in an Italian antique shop, you will notice many masculine items end in -io, such as calamaio (inkwell) and leggio (reading stand).
When making these nouns plural, they will end in either a single -i or a double -ii. The trick lies in knowing where the stress falls in the singular word.
Plurals with an Unstressed "i"
For the vast majority of nouns ending in -io, the stress falls on a syllable before the final i (e.g., ca-la-MA-io).
When pluralizing these words, simply drop the final -o. The plural form ends in a single -i.
| I clean the silver inkwells. | Pulisco i calamai d'argento. |
| The reliquaries are on the table. | I reliquiari sono sul tavolo. |
| There are many inkwells and reliquaries to clean. | Ci sono molti calamai e reliquiari da pulire. |
Plurals with a Stressed "i"
If the stress falls directly on the i in the -io ending (e.g., ci-go-LÌ-o), you must keep that stressed i and add the standard plural -i. This results in a double -ii ending.
Listen for this slightly drawn-out ee-ee sound in words like cigolio (creak), leggio (reading stand), and oblio (oblivion).
| I hear the creaks of the old skylights. | Sento i cigolii dei vecchi lucernari. |
| We sell reading stands and old orreries. | Vendiamo leggii e vecchi planetari. |
| Long oblivions ruin the objects. | I lunghi oblii rovinano gli oggetti. |
Masculine Nouns Ending in "-ma"
While sorting through the shop's oddities, you might also find a diadema (diadem or tiara).
Though it ends in -a, diadema is a masculine noun. Words of Greek origin ending in -ma are usually masculine. In the plural, they follow the standard masculine rule, changing the final -a to an -i (diademi).
| The diadems are expensive, I know it well. | I diademi sono cari, lo so bene. |
| I hear the tinklings of the gold diadems. | Sento i tintinnii dei diademi d'oro. |