Re: number marking

In a message dated 12/16/99 4:08:31 PM Mountain Standard Time,=20
jmpearson@FACSTAFF.WISC.EDU writes:

> Last night, while I was dreaming my little dreamy dreams, I
>  suddenly hit on an interesting way of expressing number, which
>  I might use in a sketch for a new conlang that I've been working
>  on.
man i'd love to have dreams like you!  heh heh An=ECes=E9 would have been=20
finished long ago!  heh heh

>  Nouns have up to three forms:
we've three as well:  (*scratches head* as far as i remember. i haven't=20
touched it for a while now...  sigh, no time.   shame on me, i should have=20
made it)

singular, dual, trial-multiple.
(snip!)

>  Another possibility I'm exploring would be to have different
>  definite singular and plural suffixes for different semantic classes
>  (e.g. one for humans, one for animals, one for round things, etc.),
>  which would drag the system closer to a Chinese-style classifier
>  system...
 =20
>  What do you think?
i dig the idea of the different plural modifiers for the different cases. =20
i've been playing with that idea in a new lang of mine too, adds flavour :)=20=
=20
what is the word order?  i'm assuming, V-medial, or V-finial, no?  the words=
=20
taste great too!=20

fantastic start!  if you keep dreamin' you'll be done in no time! heh heh

oel oushean!

iisem
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