The Plural

Plurals in Avar are irregular. There are several endings, the most common of which is -ал:

вац brother вацал
бер eye берал

when adding this suffix vowel deletion may occur:

гудур snare гудрал
тIабакI tray тIабкIал

vowel shifts:

танкI rifle тункIал
гьобо mill гьабал

and even metathesis:

хабар (piece of) news харбал
in more recent loans from russian

words ending in a vowel take -ял

чу horse чуял
цIа fire цIаял

other productive suffixes:

-заби (mainly referring to people and human-like beings):

устар teacher/master устарзаби
учитель teacher учительзаби
гьудул friend гьудулзаби
мадугьал neighbour мадугьалзаби
малаик angel малаикзаби

-аби (words ending in a "suffixed" -н/-л or a vowel lose it when adding this suffix):

рагIи word рагIаби
итаркIо hawk итаркIаби
рехъен herd рехъаби
ракета rocket ракетаби

this is also a common suffix for nouns ending in -хъан designating occupation/profession:

цIалдохъан school student/pupil цIалдохъаби
хIалтIухъан worker хIалтIухъаби
векьарухъан ploughman векьарухъаби

nouns that end in -а are usually included in this group (and not in -би, which is unproductive)

машина car машинаби
ца tooth цаби
цIва star цIваби

Unproductive plurals:

-зал:

хур field хурзал
рукъ house рукъзал

-дул/-ул - this one usually causes the root vowel to shift to у:

кечI song кучIдул
тIегь flower тIугьдул
кето cat кутул

though there are exceptions:

хIама donkey хIамул

-и:

хIинчI bird хIанчIи
тIинчI young of an animal тIанчIи

-би:

гъветI tree гъутIби
кIветI lip кIутIби

Some words only occur in the singular:

Others are only used in their plural form:

Apart from the various vowel shifts, there is a small number of words that use a seemingly different root in the singular and plural:

чIужу woman > руччаби women
эмен father > умумул fathers
эбел mother > улбул
вехь shepherd > гIухьби