8,622
edits
Chlouvānem/Morphology: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
→Use of numerals
m (→Basic maths) |
|||
| Line 1,552: | Line 1,552: | ||
* "Two" may be used with either singular or dual number: ''dani māra'' or ''māri dani'' are both as correct as ''dani mārion'' and ''māreva dani'' - note that the dual number alone, without the numeral, has the same meaning. Outside of literary texts, it is however more common to specify "two" with the numeral. | * "Two" may be used with either singular or dual number: ''dani māra'' or ''māri dani'' are both as correct as ''dani mārion'' and ''māreva dani'' - note that the dual number alone, without the numeral, has the same meaning. Outside of literary texts, it is however more common to specify "two" with the numeral. | ||
'''Ordinal numerals''' (... | '''Ordinal numerals''' are regular attributive adjective-like words that precede nouns - e.g. ''hælinaika kita'' "second house". They do not decline if are used together with a noun, but they can also be used alone (e.g. ''hælinaika'' "the second one"), in which case they decline for case and number, as if they were ''-eh'' nouns (''-a'' for 1st and 2nd), e.g. ''mojendesām ukulate'' "it has been told to those in ninth position". | ||
'''Collective numerals''' (which decline as regular ''-ām'' nouns) are most commonly found with the meaning of "a group consisting of X ...", therefore implying greater cohesiveness than using the cardinal number implies. A common example of the subtle meaning change is between the sentences ''chīka lalāruṇa togāhaite'' (with a cardinal) and ''chīcætām lalāruṇa togāhaite'' (with a collective): both mean "seven ''lalāruṇai'' hit", but in the latter sentence the action is implied to be a coordinate act of all seven animals, while in the former they either hit randomly or the coordination of the action is not specified (or not specification-worthy). This is also the most common meaning with pluralia tantum, as commonly heard with ethnonyms (which are all plural only in Chlouvānem), e.g. ''šulkatām chlǣvānem'' "[a group of] five Chlouvānem people".<br/> | '''Collective numerals''' (which decline as regular ''-ām'' nouns) are most commonly found with the meaning of "a group consisting of X ...", therefore implying greater cohesiveness than using the cardinal number implies. A common example of the subtle meaning change is between the sentences ''chīka lalāruṇa togāhaite'' (with a cardinal) and ''chīcætām lalāruṇa togāhaite'' (with a collective): both mean "seven ''lalāruṇai'' hit", but in the latter sentence the action is implied to be a coordinate act of all seven animals, while in the former they either hit randomly or the coordination of the action is not specified (or not specification-worthy). This is also the most common meaning with pluralia tantum, as commonly heard with ethnonyms (which are all plural only in Chlouvānem), e.g. ''šulkatām chlǣvānem'' "[a group of] five Chlouvānem people".<br/> | ||
They can also be found, context-dependent, used with the meaning of "all X of..." - in a sentence such as e.g. ''tītyatām lejīn dilu liju lilejlaikate'' "all eight singers wanted to sing the same song" - or with the meaning of "X sets of" with singularia tantum - e.g. ''pāmvyatām hærṣūs'' "three pairs of lips" (but note that colloquial Chlouvānem increasingly often uses the cardinals here, e.g. ''pāmvi hærṣūs'').<br/> | They can also be found, context-dependent, used with the meaning of "all X of..." - in a sentence such as e.g. ''tītyatām lejīn dilu liju lilejlaikate'' "all eight singers wanted to sing the same song" - or with the meaning of "X sets of" with singularia tantum - e.g. ''pāmvyatām hærṣūs'' "three pairs of lips" (but note that colloquial Chlouvānem increasingly often uses the cardinals here, e.g. ''pāmvi hærṣūs'').<br/> | ||
The collective numerals for 0 and 1 (''ajrāṇṭām'' and ''leilintām'' respectively) are not included in the table above because they do not exist in practical use; however, they are sporadically found in poetry and literature, referring to people and with the meaning of "a group where only one/no one is ...", e.g. ''ajrāṇṭām tadhusmausīn'' "a group where no one is honest". Similarly, collectives for ''vālь-'' numbers (e.g. ''vālьpāmvyantām'' "a group consisting of 2½ ...") exist, but are virtually unused. | The collective numerals for 0 and 1 (''ajrāṇṭām'' and ''leilintām'' respectively) are not included in the table above because they do not exist in practical use; however, they are sporadically found in poetry and literature, referring to people and with the meaning of "a group where only one/no one is ...", e.g. ''ajrāṇṭām tadhusmausīn'' "a group where no one is honest". Similarly, collectives for ''vālь-'' numbers (e.g. ''vālьpāmvyantām'' "a group consisting of 2½ ...") exist, but are virtually unused. ''daniatām'', like ''dani'', may be use together with either a singular or a dual noun. | ||
In some cases, the choice between a collective and a cardinal is stylistic. While for example concepts such as "we are..." or "I have ... children" do normally use the collective (e.g. ''tulūɂatām ñæltah jalim'' "we are six sisters/a group of six reciprocal brothers and sisters"; ''lili mæn nęltitām samin'' "I have four children"), even if using a cardinal isn't wrong, in a sentence such as "there are X people" both versions are found, with the collective-using sentence (e.g. ''dvārma vælditāmą lilęs virā'' "in the room there are eleven people") being perceived as more formal than the more colloquially heard cardinal-using version (i.e. ''dvārma vældąs lilęs virā''). | In some cases, the choice between a collective and a cardinal is stylistic. While for example concepts such as "we are..." or "I have ... children" do normally use the collective (e.g. ''tulūɂatām ñæltah jalim'' "we are six sisters/a group of six reciprocal brothers and sisters"; ''lili mæn nęltitām samin'' "I have four children"), even if using a cardinal isn't wrong, in a sentence such as "there are X people" both versions are found, with the collective-using sentence (e.g. ''dvārma vælditāmą lilęs virā'' "in the room there are eleven people") being perceived as more formal than the more colloquially heard cardinal-using version (i.e. ''dvārma vældąs lilęs virā''). | ||
'''Distributive numerals''' are indeclinable adjective-like words, and have the meaning of "X each": ''pāmvihaicē titē męliāhai'' "three pens each are given"; ''lili liliā ñæltah no tulūɂihaicē kolecañi alau ulgutarate'' "my sister and I have bought six bottles of kvas each" — note in both sentences the use of singular number in ''titē'' (pencil) and ''alūs'' (acc. ''alau'') "bottle", just like after cardinal and collective numerals. | |||
'''Adverbial numerals''' are adverbs with the meaning of "X times" and '''multiplicative numbers''' are adjective-like words (that can also be used alone) with the meaning of "X times as large"; numbers from 1 to 4 have both forms, while all other ones (except 0) have only the multiplicative one, which is used for both meanings. Examples: ''pāmvirvīm yąloe'' "triple meal/a meal three times as large"; ''āsena māgdani'' "twice a month"; ''āsena tītyarvīm'' "eight times a month".<br/> | |||
Zero only has an adverbial form (''māgajrā''), which is however only used in reading multiplications and powers, e.g. 3 * 0 ''māgajrā pāmvi'', 9<sup>0</sup> ''māgajrā demǣ moja''. | |||
Fractionary numerals are always used in the noun.<small>GEN</small> numeral construction, and they are invariable in direct, vocative, accusative, and ergative case but decline with ''-vaḍa'' in all of the others (in fact, etymologically they derive from worn down forms of ordinal + ''vaḍa'', meaning Xth part, e.g. ''hælinaika vaḍa'' (the second part) → ''hælinaivāṭ''). Unlike ordinals, the noun is always in the genitive case. Examples: ''marti hælinaivāṭ'' "half of the city" ; ''alāvi nęltendvāṭ'' "one fourth of the bottle" ; ''babhrāmi tulūɂendvaḍe'' "in one sixth of the country". | '''Fractionary numerals''' are always used in the noun.<small>GEN</small> numeral construction, and they are invariable in direct, vocative, accusative, and ergative case but decline with ''-vaḍa'' in all of the others (in fact, etymologically they derive from worn down forms of ordinal + ''vaḍa'', meaning Xth part, e.g. ''hælinaika vaḍa'' (the second part) → ''hælinaivāṭ''). Unlike ordinals, the noun is always in the genitive case. Examples: ''marti hælinaivāṭ'' "half of the city" ; ''alāvi nęltendvāṭ'' "one fourth of the bottle" ; ''babhrāmi tulūɂendvaḍe'' "in one sixth of the country". | ||
===Basic maths=== | ===Basic maths=== | ||