Re: demonstratives

Irina Rempt sikayal:

> On Mon, 19 Feb 2001, jesse stephen bangs wrote:
>
> > These all go in the same inflectional slot and are parallel, which is to
> > say that they can't be used together.  These prefixes are also parallel to
> > the numerals, which means that Yivríndil can't say things like 'these
> > three men.'
>
> What do you say when you want to say it, then? I'd imagine something
> like "three men, that is, these" or "these men, three of them".
Most of the time Yivríndil speakers simply don't make the
distinction--they'll say simply "three men," and leave it alone.  If it's
absolutely necessary for the distinction to be made, though, an appositive
is used:

Niyanar = the men
néyanar = three men
*Ninéyanar = the three men (doesn't exist)
Niela, néyanar = These ones, three men = These three men


Jesse S. Bangs jaspax@u.washington.edu
"It is of the new things that men tire--of fashions and proposals and
improvements and change.  It is the old things that startle and
intoxicate.  It is the old things that are young."
-G.K. Chesterton _The Napoleon of Notting Hill_
Conlanger code: CLI> l%p+++ cS:R:N:H a++ y n18d:6 X+++ A-- E-- L-- N2.5
Idmp k++ ia-- p+ m++ o+++ P d++ b++ Yivríndil