I came across a sentence, "Tha Japanese are said to be a polite people."
Is this correct? Why is "a" used in front of a plural noun?
If correct, is it still widely used, and what is the reasoning?
Thanks for your help.
the use of "a people"
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Re: the use of "a people"
It is not a plural noun, but a cognate singular noun meaning 'race/ethnic group' (plural: peoples).