Re: ANADEWISM? Plural only marked in animates
| From: | Dirk Elzinga <dirk.elzinga@...> |
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| Date: | Wednesday, May 4, 2005, 20:03 |
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On 5/4/05, Benct Philip Jonsson <bpj@...> wrote:
> Does anyone know if there is an ANADEWISM for marking
> plurality only in animates?
Shoshoni does this (as does most of Northern Uto-Aztecan). While there
is no prohibition against pluralizing inanimates, it isn't usual;
which is to say, native speakers accept such formations, though
reluctantly.
Besides the usual suffixation of -neen 'PL' and -neweh "DU', for some
nouns referring to people there is also reduplication and suppletion
in addition to suffixation. Here are some examples:
punku 'horse'
punkuneweh 'horses-DU'
punkuneen 'horses-PL'
papi 'older brother'
papineweh 'older brothers-DU'
papineen 'older brothers-PL'
tei 'friend'
tetteyanneweh 'friends-DU'
tetteyanneen 'friends-PL'
tuineppe 'boy'
pihianneweh 'boys-DU'
pihianneen 'boys-PL'
Dirk
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