Contionary:emibe
Chlouvānem
Alternative forms
- emi (used in counting)
- yemibe (Archaic Chlouvānem; obsolete)
- emibu (Classical-era dialectal variant; obsolete)
Etymology
From Archaic Chlouvānem yemibe, from Proto-Lahob *jemibɨ (or *jemibə). Cognates include Łohofál yew, Yełeshian Lawo im̃u, Shershan Lawo im̃o, Łaȟoḇaror sämeḇ.
The term is sporadically attested with initial /j/ (as yemibe) in the earliest written specimens of Chlouvānem and, only once, in a Lällshag-Chlouvānem inscription (as jemibo, reflecting a variant with final /u/); the word-initial /je(ː)/ → /e(ː)/ change was complete sometime before the period recognized as Classical Chlouvānem, and this, being such a basic word, has been proposed as one of the words where this change likely started.
The quality of the last vowel in the reconstruction of Proto-Lahob is unclear, at least for what concerns the Chlouvānem branch: the Classical-era dialectal variant, as well as the combining form, with /u/, reflect *ɨ; most of its declension, with /a/, reflects *ə instead, while the final /e/ in the nominative form is an irregular change, possibly triggered by the following three numbers in the sequence ending in a front vowel (cf. dani, pāmvi, nęlte).
Pronunciation
Numeral
emibe (cardinal numeral; ordinal lahīla, no collective, distributive emibhaicē, adverbial māgemibe, multiplicative emibarvīm, fractionary lahīlvāṭ)
- one, a single specimen of
- emibe phēcam mæn eṇē ānotē, dani ni švotāhai.
- One cat is lying on the table; two [other cats] lie under [it].
- emibe phēcam mæn eṇē ānotē, dani ni švotāhai.
- (emphatic) a, an undefined exemplar of
- maile emiyu nāmñū imišaṃte.
- I've just seen a nāmñē in the water.
- maile emiyu nāmñū imišaṃte.
- (with a dual or plural genitive attribute, or in a copular sentence) one of
- babhrāṃrye sasprāsirāhe lelyē mæn dildhā emibe vi.
- The dildhā (giant lizard/land dragon) is one of the largest living beings on land.
- jāyiṃrān emibe upūpūnī.
- One of the girls has been working a lot.
- babhrāṃrye sasprāsirāhe lelyē mæn dildhā emibe vi.
- (in compound words) single-, mono-, uni-, homo-
- emibulelcūlla — single-seater [racing] car
- emibugirdaradhūs — monodirectional verb
- emib(u)dhāḍausake — [to be] monolingual
- (essive case, adverbial use) alone, by oneself, on one's own
- pū gu daudi ša, emibą dadrāltaṃte.
- If you don't want to, I'll do it on my own.
- pū gu daudi ša, emibą dadrāltaṃte.
Inflection
| Numeral, irregular | |
|---|---|
| Case | Singular |
| Direct Vocative |
emibe |
| Accusative | emiyu |
| Ergative | emeis |
| Genitive | emibī |
| Translative | emiban |
| Exessive | emibat |
| Essive | emibą |
| Dative | emibå |
| Ablative | emiyų |
| Locative | emiye |
| Instrumental | emīp |
Usage notes
Using emibe for the "a" meaning is emphatic: omitting it is the unmarked way to convey this meaning.