Proto-Dynic: Difference between revisions
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Proto-Dynic makes extensive use of reduplication to form the plural of nouns. Generally, the first onset and nucleus of a word are reduplicated, with any long vowels shortened in the reduplicated syllable: | Proto-Dynic makes extensive use of reduplication to form the plural of nouns. Generally, the first onset and nucleus of a word are reduplicated, with any long vowels shortened in the reduplicated syllable: | ||
* ''* | * ''*kél'' ('island') → ''*kekél'' ('islands') | ||
* ''* | * ''*dûnə'' ('person') → ''*dudûnə'' ('people') | ||
* ''* | * ''*sáwk'' ('hawk') → ''*sasáwk'' ('hawks') | ||
Reduplication can also be used with uncountable or collective nouns to refer to large or otherwise extreme or emphatic versions of a noun. The same is true of adjectives: | Reduplication can also be used with uncountable or collective nouns to refer to large or otherwise extreme or emphatic versions of a noun. The same is true of adjectives: | ||
* ''* | * ''*sêl'' ('the ocean') → ''*sesêl'' ('the vast ocean') | ||
* ''* | * ''*hùr'' ('tall, high') → ''*huhùr'' ('very tall, very high') | ||
* ''* | * ''*ʔə̄̀c'' ('large, big') → ''*ʔəʔə̄̀c'' ('huge, enormous') | ||
Occasionally a reduplicated term may carry both of these meanings. For example, ''* | Occasionally a reduplicated term may carry both of these meanings. For example, ''*kekél'' may have the plural meaning 'islands,' or the collective 'land, all the islands, great island, continent.' | ||
== Lexicon == | == Lexicon == | ||