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Re: Noun Number

From:Christian Thalmann <cinga@...>
Date:Monday, November 5, 2001, 19:04
Patrick Jarrett wrote:
> > One thing I have long been working with in my language is number. > I first wandered from the "accepted" path...
Which is always a good thing to do. =) Obrenje doesn't have number inflections, but multitudinous quantifier nouns, including one which means "unmarked plural". Nouns do inflect for definiteness though. =)
> Nullar: -/oU/ :: -w/oU/ > Singular: -- :: -- > Plural: -/I/r :: -r > > The first column of endings is for words ending in consonants, and > the second for vowel termination.
Why do you have letters both inside and outside of the SAMPA slashes?
> And this weekend I was stirred with the idea of the polar opposite, > the "incomplete" numbers. That is the working title until I come > up with a better name.
Hmmm... imperfect?
> Nullar: -/i/ :: -w/i/ – Almost none > Singular minor: -n/i/ :: -n/E/ – Almost whole > Singular major: -d/U/ :: -d/A/s - Slightly more than whole
Cool idea. Reminiscent of musical intervals.
> Plural: There is no incomplete number
Well, there are fractions. A non-integer number larger than two, maybe? -- Christian Thalmann