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Faiten: Difference between revisions
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| colspan="2" |Singular Proximal/Distal + 等 [toŋ] | | colspan="2" |Singular Proximal/Distal + 等 [toŋ] | ||
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=== Nouns === | |||
In Faiten, the noun system is characterized by its simplicity and lack of inflection. Nouns in Faiten do not undergo changes to indicate case, gender, or number. Unlike many other languages, where nouns can take on different forms depending on their role in a sentence or their grammatical characteristics, Faiten nouns remain constant. This means that the same noun form is used regardless of whether it is the subject, object, singular, or plural. To indicate the number of the noun, Faiten incorporates the use of quantifier particles to specify the quantity or provide detailed counting of nouns. These particles are essential for indicating the number associated with a particular noun. Instead of relying on inflection or morphological changes within the noun itself, Faiten speakers utilise quantifier particles to convey precise numeric information. | |||
'''Examples of Faiten Nouns:''' | |||
# 龍 [loŋ] - dragon | |||
# 蓮花 [lɛn fa] - lotus flower | |||
# 古琴 [ku gim] - ancient musical instrument | |||
# 山水 [ʂan ɕy] - landscape | |||
# 書法 [ɕy fap̚] - calligraphy | |||
# 古董 [ku tuŋ] - antique | |||
# 酒坛 [dan t͡su] - wine jar | |||
# 紅袍 [huŋ bau̯] - red robe | |||
# 琉璃 [li̯u li̯e] - glass | |||
# 丹鳳眼 [tan bi̯uŋ ŋan] - phoenix eye (a type of precious stone) | |||
# 筆架 [fit̚ ke] - pen holder | |||
# 羅漢床 [la han ʐaŋ] - Luohan bed (traditional Chinese wooden bed) | |||
# 碧玉 [piak̚ ŋio̯k̚] - jade | |||
# 金魚 [kim ŋi̯o] - goldfish | |||
# 羽毛扇 [vu mau̯ ɕi̯en] - feather fan | |||
In Faiten, there is an evident lack of inherent distinction between the singular and plural forms of nouns through infliction. Instead, to indicate whether a noun is singular or plural, it is necessary to specify the quantity or number of items involved. A key element in this process is the use of measure words, which are added between the number and the noun. Quantifiers assist in making the noun countable and provide clarity regarding the quantity being referred to. Unlike English, where measure words are primarily used to isolate individual parts of collective nouns (e.g., a piece of paper, a pair of pants, a drop of water), Faiten takes a unique approach. In Faiten, every noun, whether collective or not, is accompanied by a specific measure word. This distinctive feature of the language treats all nouns as if they were collective nouns, necessitating the use of measure words to define the grammatical number of a word. Consequently, Faiten extensively employs measure words to provide clarity and precision when indicating the quantity or number associated with a noun. Fortunately, all measure words or classifiers in Faiten tend to cognate a lot with Mandarin as well as Cantonese. | |||
An average noun phrase follows the pattern,<blockquote>'''Number/Quantifier + Classifier + Noun'''</blockquote>To indicate similarity, the number 壹 is used in place of the quantifier, followed by the Classifier then the Noun. Quantifiers can also be omitted leaving the classifier following the noun, to convey singularity although it’s used colloquially.<blockquote>壹 '''+ Classifier + Noun''' (Standard Singular Noun Phrase)</blockquote>or<blockquote>'''Classifier + Noun''' (Informal Singular Noun Phrase)</blockquote> | |||
E.g: | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|+ | |||
| colspan="3" |壹層烤寬麵條 | |||
|- | |||
|壹 | |||
|層 | |||
|烤寬麵條 | |||
|- | |||
|it̚ | |||
|zɔŋ | |||
|kʰu kʰu̯an men deu̯ | |||
|- | |||
|1 | |||
|CL | |||
|lasagna | |||
|- | |||
| colspan="3" |"1 layer of lasagna" or "a layer of lasagna" | |||
|} | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|+ | |||
| colspan="2" |門專業 | |||
|- | |||
|門 | |||
|專業 | |||
|- | |||
|wun | |||
|t͡ɕøn ŋi̯ap̚ | |||
|- | |||
|(1)CL | |||
|major | |||
|- | |||
| colspan="2" |"1 major" or "a major" | |||
|} | |||
For the plural nouns, the numbers 貳 higher, or quantifiers (for indefinite plural) is used to imply that the noun comes in a pair or multiple instances of the noun. Naturally Quantifiers are plural and they convey an indefinite plural.<blockquote>'''Number (貳 or higher) / Quantifiers + Classifier + Noun'''</blockquote> | |||
With demonstratives, the demonstrative comes before the number or the quantifier.<blockquote>'''Demonstrative Pronouns + Number/Quantifier + Classifier + Noun'''</blockquote> | |||
==Example texts== | ==Example texts== | ||