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Chlouvānem/Morphology: Difference between revisions
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→Irregular plurals
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A few Chlouvānem nouns have irregular plurals: | A few Chlouvānem nouns have irregular plurals: | ||
* The word ''chlǣvānem'' itself is plural-only and irregular; direct and vocative are in ''-em'', but all other cases decline as a standard plural 1h noun (e.g. accusative ''chlǣvānānu'', ergative ''chlǣvānān'', genitive ''chlǣvānumi''); | * The word ''chlǣvānem'' itself is plural-only and irregular; direct and vocative are in ''-em'', but all other cases decline as a standard plural 1h noun (e.g. accusative ''chlǣvānānu'', ergative ''chlǣvānān'', genitive ''chlǣvānumi''); | ||
* ''maila'' “water” does not have a dual form outside of colloquial use (where ''mailion'' is used with the meaning of “two glasses of water”) and has the irregular plural ''mailtiąa''. It declines as a ''singular'' 1h noun, with two exceptions, namely accusative in ''-ąu'' instead of expected *-ahu and genitive in ''-ąi'' instead of expected *-ahi. This plural form is actually common, used when talking about bodies of water in an area, water layers, glasses of water, and a few minor idiomatic uses (e.g. ''taili mailtiahe hilæflulke'', lit. “to arrive by crossing many waters”, meaning “to have had much experience”). | * ''maila'' “water” does not have a dual form outside of colloquial use (where ''mailion'' is used with the meaning of “two glasses of water”) and has the irregular plural ''mailtiąa''. It declines as a ''singular'' 1h noun, with two exceptions, namely accusative in ''-ąu'' instead of expected *-ahu and genitive in ''-ąi'' instead of expected *-ahi. This plural form is actually common, used when talking about bodies of water in an area, water layers, glasses of water, and a few minor idiomatic uses (e.g. ''taili mailtiahe hilæflulke'', lit. “to arrive by crossing many waters”, meaning “to have had much experience”).<br/>The ''-tiąa'' semantic plural is also used for the word ''damītah'' when used for "petals" (''damīšciąa''; the meaning of "nails" has the regular plural ''damītai''), and ''lairē'' (''lairtiąa'', which does not mean "skies" but "galaxy"). | ||
* ''hulin'' "woman" has both a regular plural (''hulin''), used in a wider scope (e.g. ''chlǣvānumi hulin'' "Chlouvānem women") and an irregular plural (''hilāni'') used in other contexts (e.g. ''nanā hilāni'' "those women there"). | * ''hulin'' "woman" has both a regular plural (''hulin''), used in a wider scope (e.g. ''chlǣvānumi hulin'' "Chlouvānem women") and an irregular plural (''hilāni'') used in other contexts (e.g. ''nanā hilāni'' "those women there"). | ||
* ''resan'' "pig" and ''liken'' "arm" both have irregular plurals with vowel change: ''ryasan'' and ''læcin'' respectively. | * ''resan'' "pig" and ''liken'' "arm" both have irregular plurals with vowel change: ''ryasan'' and ''læcin'' respectively. | ||
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* ''švas'' "animal (including humans)" pluralizes as ''švai'', as if it were a h-noun; all cases except for direct and vocative are however regular. | * ''švas'' "animal (including humans)" pluralizes as ''švai'', as if it were a h-noun; all cases except for direct and vocative are however regular. | ||
* There are some pluralia tantum: ''pārye'' “hair”, ''kāraṇḍhai'' “guts”, also ''agṇyaucai'' “sons and daughters”, ''vailašaus'' "cutlery", ''šūlyakāše'' "dishes", and all ethnonyms. | * There are some pluralia tantum: ''pārye'' “hair”, ''kāraṇḍhai'' “guts”, also ''agṇyaucai'' “sons and daughters”, ''vailašaus'' "cutlery", ''šūlyakāše'' "dishes", and all ethnonyms. | ||
** Some pluralia tantum are the plural forms of nouns with other (usually related) meanings - when they are used as semantic plurals, they're counted with cardinal numerals (and are singular); when they are used as pluralia tantum, with collective numerals (and are plural). Examples are ''hamvyenī'' "nursery" (''hamvyoe'' "cradle"), ''įsmirte'' "playground" (''įsmirtas'' "swing"), ''nacai'' "clothes" (''naca'' "cloth"), | ** Some pluralia tantum are the plural forms of nouns with other (usually related) meanings - when they are used as semantic plurals, they're counted with cardinal numerals (and are singular); when they are used as pluralia tantum, with collective numerals (and are plural). Examples are ''hamvyenī'' "nursery" (''hamvyoe'' "cradle"), ''įsmirte'' "playground" (''įsmirtas'' "swing"), ''nacai'' "clothes" (''naca'' "cloth"), ''garaṇai'' "clock, watch" (''garaṇa'' "hour"), ''lairtiąa'' "galaxy" (''lairē'' "sky"). | ||
*** This is often used in poetry, with words like ''mešanāt'' "eyes" - dual of ''mešanah'' "view". In many set phrases, ''læcin'' "arms" is used with the meaning of "work, effort". | *** This is often used in poetry, with words like ''mešanāt'' "eyes" - dual of ''mešanah'' "view". In many set phrases, ''læcin'' "arms" is used with the meaning of "work, effort". | ||
** Many toponyms in the Inquisition and a few ones abroad are only ever used in the plural. Island groups are an obvious example, but this also includes descriptive names of dioceses such as ''Vīdhyašaṇṭrē'' ("regions of the Vīdhyai"), ''Samvālšaṇṭrē'' (lit. "the Western Regions"), and many cities even with originally non-Chlouvānem names such as ''Kašikanye'' (episcopal seat of Saṃhayolah), ''Rīkalīnai'' (episcopal seat of Dārṭijātia), or ''Kareñjoklai'' (episcopal seat of Yūgarthāma). | ** Many toponyms in the Inquisition and a few ones abroad are only ever used in the plural. Island groups are an obvious example, but this also includes descriptive names of dioceses such as ''Vīdhyašaṇṭrē'' ("regions of the Vīdhyai"), ''Samvālšaṇṭrē'' (lit. "the Western Regions"), and many cities even with originally non-Chlouvānem names such as ''Kašikanye'' (episcopal seat of Saṃhayolah), ''Rīkalīnai'' (episcopal seat of Dārṭijātia), or ''Kareñjoklai'' (episcopal seat of Yūgarthāma). | ||