ts; and for all these we commonly
use the _objective_;--that is, we put _each_ or _one_ before the objective
_other_. Now these English terms, taken in a reciprocal sense, seldom, if
ever, have any plural form; because the article in _one an other_ admits of
none; and _each other_, when applied to two persons or things, (as it
almost always is,) does not require any. I have indeed seen, in some
narrative, such an example as this: "The two men were ready to cut _each
others' throats_." But the meaning could not be, that each was ready to cut
"_others' throats_;" and since, between the two, there was but one throat
for _each_ to cut, it would doubtless be more correct to say, "_each
other's throat_." So Burns, in touching a gentler passion, has an
inaccurate elliptical expression:

"'Tis when a youthful, loving, modest pair,
In _others'_ arms, breathe out the tender tale."
--_Cotter's Sat. Night_.

He meant, "In _each other's_ arms;" the apostrophe being misplaced, and the
metre improperly allowed to exclude a word which the sense requires. Now,
as to the plural of _each other_, although we do not use the objective, and
say of many, "They love _each others_," there appear to be some instances
in which the possessive plural, _each others'_, would not be improper; as,
"Sixteen ministers, who meet weekly at _each other's_ houses."--_Johnson's
Life of Swift_. Here the singular is wrong, because the governing noun
implies a plurality of owners. "The citizens of different states should
know _each others characters_."--_Webster's Essays_, p. 35. This also is
wrong, because no possessive sign is used. Either write, "_each others'
characters_," or say, "_one an other's character_."

OBS. 18.--_One_ and _other_ are, in many instances, terms relative and
partitive, rather than reciprocal; and, in this use, there seems to be an
occasional demand for the plural form. In French, two parties are
contrasted by _les uns--les autres_; a mode of expression seldom, if ever
imitated in English. Thus: "Il les separera _les uns_ d'avec _les autres_."
That is, "He shall separate them _some_ from _others_;"--or, literally,
"_the ones_ from _the others_." Our version is: "He shall separate them
_one from an other_."--_Matt._, xxv, 32. Beza has it: "Separabit eos
_alteros ab alteris_." The Vulgate: "Separabit eos _ab invicem_." The
Greek: "[Greek: Aphoriei autous ap allaelon]." To separate many "_one from
an other_," seems, literal