The present discussion about neuter plurals and
case endings made me want to ask: are the neuter plural and feminine singular
nominative endings related in any way? When I studied Latin it struck me that
they were always the same, and now I see that they are considered to have been
the same also in Proto-IE. According to Babaev's essay Gender category
in Indo-European some feminine singular words in -a
were originally neuter collective plurals, like aqua
"waters". Perhaps there is an interesting story waiting to be told
here.....
Hakan