{-hai}
is also suffixed to nouns when single items of different
species are referred to collectively. In a situation
where there is ‘a pen’, ‘a pencil’ and ‘a cup’ on the
table, each noun, though actually singular, would take
{-hai}. For example :
/dkàn
cúh
pén-hài, pèncíl-hai, lúkhúm-hài ánùm/
‘there is a pen, a pencil and a hat on the table’
{-dà:m}
Generally
in respect of the nouns referring to human body parts
and animate nouns which are required to be mentioned
with definiteness. viz: such nouns which are already
in the field of focus between the speaker and the hearer,
the plural marker {-dam} is added to. In other words,
it particularises a noun in plural sense. Its contrast
with {-hai} in respect of presence or absence or the
sense of definiteness which could be seen from the following
examples :
:
/
hù
kàn
cú
