Re: Numbers

On 16 Jan 00, at 2:18, Muke Tever wrote:

> >ObConLang:
> >   How do you all handle numbers, anyways? Like saying "I have 5 things"
> >or whatever? Would it be considered an adjective, or article of some
> >sort?
Meynian numerals are (I think) genetive nouns for
counting and adjectives for ordinals.

I have (a) five of books
An  mei deráim aegnis peizanuaghá
ERG I   own    five   book.of
/An meI der\a:Im {NIs peItsAn@jA:/ (X-SAMPA)
(for non X-SAMPites, /{/ is normally written /&/,
and /r\/ is an alveolar approximant)

Give me the five-ly book.
Eiz sei an  mei pharéizoas  piuzan aegnisáth
VOL you ERG I   obtain.JUSS book   five.like
/eIts seI An meI fAr\e:Is pUtsAn {NisA:T/

Plurals are marked by ablaut.  A given vowel may
occur in several single/plural pairs, sometimes as
the single and sometimes as the plural, therefore
the plural system can be thought of as irregular for
all intents and purposes.

Certain small plurals (known as "counted plurals")
are shown by combining the following bound prefixes
with the singular form of the noun:

0    nua-    /n@/
2    diu-    /dU/
3    dtha-   /tTA/
5    gni-    /NI/
10   dai-    /daI/

Quantities are also marked by prefixing the singular
stem:
All    so-   /sQ/
(None  nua-  /n@/)

Many   la-   /lA/
Few    wei-  /weI/

Enough dóa-  /d@U:/(also "simply", "purely", "only")
Scarce chi-  /tSI/