Re: CHAT: Unconventional pronoun systemsshow us yours!

Quoting Jim Henry <jimhenry@...>:

> Steven Williams <feurieaux@...> wrote:
>
> > to other conlangers. I used 'paucal' for the longest
> > time to represent a closed group of objects, like a
> > box of crayons, or a convention of Star Trek fans.
> > This seems like false terminology.
>
> > By the way, what _would_ be the term for a closed
> > group like that (the crayons in the box, the Trekkies
> > in the convention)?
>
> I'm not sure.  Collective? John Quijada's Ithkuil
> has a bunch of unusual number distinctions, including
> several different kinds of collective grouping.
> But his terminology is not standard.
>
> http://home.inreach.com/sl2120/Home.htm
FWIW, my conlang Altaii has a number I call 'collective', that refers to a
collection or group as a whole. In some respects, it makes up for the lack of a
definite~indefinite article; you'd introduce, say, _medi_ "(some) girls" into
the discourse, and then later refer to them as _medista_ "(group of) girls".

I'll be the first to admit I've not worked out anything like all the pragmatics
of it. FYI, the singular is _medy_ [me;dy] "girl"; one of the cuter words I've
invented if I may say it myself.

* Jump for cover as people tell me how much my phonaesthetic tastes suck *

                                               Andreas

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