Am 05/26 17:18 kam@CARROT.CLARA.NET yscrifef:
> If you lose the /-i:/ ending then all you have left to mark plurals is
> the debris of the various consonant stems -on- -jon- -ow- -nt- -ik- etc.
> most of which get recycled in WCB. as plural endings. Otherwise you have
> to depend on a "compulsory" article etc. as in modern French to mark
> plurality. Languages like Malay seem happy to leave number unmarked most
> of the time, but European langs usually only allow this in a few words
> e.g. English "sheep".
I find this interesting. Can you explain how it came about that
consonent stems were recycled in this way?
- andrew.
--
Andrew Smith, Intheologus hobbit@griffler.co.nz
http://hobbit.griffler.co.nz/homepage.html
Your voice has been heard.