Re: Iltârer Nouns

In a message dated 5/4/01 1:06:36 PM, tom@TELP.COM writes:

<< The collective plural, first and foremost, always has the sense of

referring to an entire class of objects. So one would use it in sentences

like "research show that dinosaurs are close relatives of birds" or "birds

lay eggs".  >>

    Ah, so this part right here makes reference to a superordinate category, 
of which all birds are a part, whereas the ordinary plural of "bird" might 
make reference to only the salient members, maybe the most prototypical 
members (e.g.: sparrows), or to a specific group of birds that one actually 
sees.

<<Assuming that the collective plural of "bird" also has the

archetypal connotation I described (hadn't really considered it

specifically), I would imagine it being somewhat more narrow than the list

of qualities you mention, according to whatever aspect of "birdness"

captured the imagination of the Iltârer people; perhaps a meaning relating

to flight and the freedom of living by instinct. That more abstract meaning

would tend to apply when the noun was used metaphorically, in the

referential case. "a person of birds" might be an Iltârer expression

roughly equivalent to "a free spirit" in English idiom.>>

    This is somewhat different, though.  It seems like the collective plural 
here makes an abstract noun out of whatever.  In that case, does it still 
have to be considered a plural?  And could it be made into an adjective, or 
just by means of the genetive?  What I mean is, could you say, "He walks 
turtle(collective plural)-like".  In this case it's an adverb, and the 
collective plural of "turtle" would mean, in this particular case, slow.  
Anyway, I like the idea.  It's very suggestive...

-David

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