Compound nouns whose parts are connected by a hyphen accept of the sign of the plural after that part which essentially constitutes the noun; as, knight-errant, _knights-errant_; son-in-law, _sons-in-law_; man-of-war, _men-of-war_; step-child, _step-children_; ember-day, _ember-days_; man-singer, _men-singers_. ILLUSTRATIONS. aides-de-camp beaus-ideal or beaux-ideal cartes-blanche charges-d’affaires chevaux-de-frise coups-de-main courts-martial cousins-german daughters-in-law fathers-in-law gendarmes or gens d’armes jets d’eau knights-errant mesdames men-of-war messieurs mothers-in-law poets-laureate porte-monnaies prices-current sergeants-at-arms sisters-in-law sons-in-law step-children step-fathers valets-de-chambre _Remark I._—If no hyphen is used, the sign of the plural is always placed at the end; as, spoonful, _spoonfuls_. _Remark II._—The sign of the possessive case is always placed at the end of compound nouns; as, _son-in-law’s_ house. RULE XVII. The compounds of man form their plural in the same manner as the simple word; as, fisherman, _fishermen_; man-of-war, _men-of-war_. EXCEPTIONS.—The only exceptions to this rule are _dragoman_, _Mussulman_, _Ottoman_, _talisman_, _Turcoman_, _German_, _Norman_, and _landamman_, which accept of _s_. RULE XVIII. Of the terminations _eive_ and _ieve_, and of the derivatives of each, the former are found after _c_, and the latter after other letters; as, _conceive_, _conceit_, _receive_, _receipt_; _relieve_, _relief_, _relieving_, _thieve_, _thievish_. ILLUSTRATIONS. achieve aggrieve bas-relief belief believe conceit conceivable conceive deceit deceitful deceive disbelief disbelieve grief grieve inconceivable lief lieve misbelief misconceive perceive preconceive receipt receive relief relieve relievo reprieve retrieve sieve thief thieve unbelief unbeliever undeceive * * * * * _Plurals of Nouns which change F or FE into VES._ beeves calves elves halves knives leaves lives loaves selves sheaves shelves thieves tipstaves wharves wives wolves All other nouns ending in _ff_ conform to Rule X. Wharfs prevails in Great Britain, wharves in America. _Plurals of Nouns ending in F or FE which accept of S only in the Plural._ briefs chiefs fiefs griefs mischiefs kerchiefs neckerchiefs handkerchiefs caliphs caufs clefs coifs delfs dwarfs turfs kerfs surfs fifes strifes safes scarfs waifs woofs hoofs roofs proofs reproofs disproofs waterproofs beliefs reliefs gulfs