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wind-induced damages (or damage)

English translation: damage

19:24 Feb 11, 2006
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Linguistics / grammar
English term or phrase: wind-induced damages (or damage)
Is it correct to us a noun ‘damage’ in plural – ‘damages’ when referring to e.g. ‘damages’ caused by wind in forest stands, like windfallen trees etc. (i.e. talking about a number of trees and not money)????
Evonymus (Ewa Kazmierczak)
Poland
Local time: 05:49
Selected answer:damage
Explanation:
In this and almost any other context, the singular "damage" should be used. "Damages" as a plural is, as far as I know, only used in a legal context (as in, "He sued for damages.")

Best regards.
Selected response from:

Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 23:49
Grading comment
Thank you very much for your help :) Although I think Balasubramaniam made a good point as well about the language flexibility.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +16damage
Robert Forstag
4wind-induced damage
David Moore (X)
4 -1yes, if...
Balasubramaniam L.


  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +16
damage


Explanation:
In this and almost any other context, the singular "damage" should be used. "Damages" as a plural is, as far as I know, only used in a legal context (as in, "He sued for damages.")

Best regards.

Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 23:49
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 68
Grading comment
Thank you very much for your help :) Although I think Balasubramaniam made a good point as well about the language flexibility.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jack Doughty
0 min
  -> Ta, Jack.
agree  Dave Calderhead
11 mins
  -> Thank you, Dave.
agree  Andrey Belousov (X)
15 mins
  -> Thank you, Andrey.
agree  Tania Marques-Cardoso
19 mins
  -> Muito obrigado, Tania.
agree  Balaban Cerit
36 mins
  -> Thank you, Balaban.
agree  Ken Cox: Yes -- 'damage' is a collective noun. In the asker's example, 'injuries' could be used to refer to several instances of damage.
39 mins
  -> Thanks, Kenneth.
agree  Marcelo González
55 mins
  -> Thank you, Marcelo.
agree  Laurel Porter (X): Faster than David Moore! :-)
1 hr
  -> I like to think of myself as 'Rapid Robert'. Thanks. :)
agree  William [Bill] Gray: From the compact Oxford Dictionary online: "damage - noun 1 physical harm reducing the value, operation, or usefulness of something. 2 (damages) financial compensation for a loss or injury." see http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/damage?view=uk
2 hrs
  -> Thank you, Bill.
agree  Seema Ugrankar
4 hrs
  -> Thank you, Ugrankar.
agree  Derek Gill Franßen
4 hrs
  -> Thank you, Derek.
agree  Peter Shortall: And I would say just "wind damage" rather than "wind-induced damage".
5 hrs
  -> Good point. I agree. Thank you, Peter.
agree  conejo: Yes, "wind damage" sounds better. "Damages" with an s usually refers to money received for such damage.
5 hrs
  -> Gracias, Conejo.
agree  LJC (X)
13 hrs
  -> Thanks, Lesley.
agree  Alfa Trans (X)
13 hrs
  -> Thank you, Marju.
agree  Rajan Chopra
1 day 16 hrs
  -> Thank you, Langclinic.
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6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
wind-induced damage


Explanation:
I take "damage" here as being non-quantifiable, and therefore not having a plural form.

David Moore (X)
Local time: 05:49
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 28
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
yes, if...


Explanation:
Damages can be used in plural if the damages are separate and enumerable. For example, trees uprooted, soil blown away, nests of birds destroyed, roads blocked by fallen trees..., are some of the damages one can thik of that can be induced by wind. If these are thought of as separate from one another, then the plural form of damages can be used. But if thought of collectively as a single entity, then damage will be in the singular.

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Note added at 8 hrs (2006-02-12 04:09:59 GMT)
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“Shut your eyes and hold out your arms,” she said invitingly. Laurie backed precipitately into a corner, and put his hands behind him with an imploring gesture. “No, thank you. I'd rather not. I shall drop it or smash it, as sure as fate.” “Then you shan't see your nevvy,” said Jo decidedly, turning as if to go. “I will, I will! Only you must be responsible for damages.”
Little Women


"There are several distinct advantages in being a Scarecrow. For if one has friends near at hand to repair damages, nothing very serious can happen to you."

The Marvelous Land of Oz, Frank Baum

I think it is what the writer has in mind that will decide the plurality or singularity of a word. If the writer views damages as a set of different types, then the plural form is acceptable, even though damage is generally used in singular, except in the legal sense.

Language has this kind of flexibility, and it would be pedantic to say that just because the general usage is of one kind, one cannot use a particular word or phrase in a slightly different way.


Balasubramaniam L.
India
Local time: 09:19
Native speaker of: Native in HindiHindi
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Susana Magnani
20 mins
  -> Thank you.
disagree  Laurel Porter (X): Sorry, but one wouldn't say "There were many damages from the storm... Three damages in the backyard alone..." or similar. Used in the non-legal sense, it's a mass noun.//You're most welcome. Lack of agreement need never mean lack of civility! :-)
1 hr
  -> Thank you.
disagree  Michał Janowski: Laurel does have a point here
4 hrs
  -> Thank you.
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