Re: number marking

Matt Pearson wrote:
>
> Question:  Has anybody else thought of a system like this?  Are
> there any natlangs that work this way?
>
        I have a system in Chasma"o"cho which, though a little different,
functions a little like yours:

        Nouns can be entity nouns (countable) or mass nouns (uncountable). They
can also be animate or inanimate but the gender changes only the form of
the "article", not how it works. Finally, nouns can be indefinite or
definite.

        Now, the interesting part:

- a noun used alone has always the meaning "some" (plural indefinite for
countable nouns, singular indefinite for mass nouns).

- a noun suffixed with the article is singular definite for countable
nouns, but gives also the feeling of generality, whether it is used with
mass nouns or countable nouns.

- countable nouns can also be prefixed by the article, with the meaning
of singular indefinite, or prefixed and suffixed by the article with the
meaning of plural definite.

        For example:

tarol: sugar (mass noun):
        tarol: sugar, some sugar
        tarole: sugar (like in "do you like sugar?" (in general))

smar: book (countable noun):
        smar: books, some books
        smare: the book, books (in general)
        esmar: a book
        esmare: the books

        As for natlangs, I've heard of one where the basic form of nouns is
always plural for countable nouns, but I don't remember which one.

> 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...
>
        Or to a kiSwahili-like system, above all if you have agreement on the
verb.

> What do you think?
>
        I like your way of separating countable nouns of low animacy and
countable nouns of high animacy. My system which consists of having them
simply as different genders is less original.

> Matt.
--
        Christophe Grandsire

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