Dear Yong Peng,

There are also some good explanations of the uses of the singular
(ekavacana) and plural (bahuvacana) in the 2nd pariccheda of the
Saddaniiti (Part I: Padamaalaa) with an interesting technical list of
five kinds of singulars and fifteen kinds of plurals. The collective
noun in the singular comes under "samudaayaapekkhekavacana.m". Some
examples of this kind are found in the following passage:

``saa senaa mahatii aasi, bahujjano pasannosi, sabbo ta.m jano
ojinaayatu, itthigumbassa pavaraa, buddhassaaha.m vatthayuga.m
adaasi.m, dvaya.m vo bhikkhave desessaami, pema.m mahanta.m
ratanattayassa, kare pasaada~nca naro avassa.m, bhikkhusa"ngho,
balakaayo, devanikaayo, ariyaga.no''-iccevamaadayo, ``dvika.m
tika''miccaadayo ca samudaayavasena bavhatthaana.m ekavacanapayogaa.
(from CSCD ver. 3)

I think "odaana.m" (rice) would come under "jaatyaapekkhekavacana.m"
which includes "sassa.m" (corn, crop) in its examples.

Best wishes,
Jim

<< Dear Jim,

thanks for the information. I am keen to learn more about collective
nouns in Pali, I have not come across many of them yet. Hopefully, we
would have the chance to go through the Saddaniiti together some time
in the future.

metta,
Yong Peng. >>