| /hmái/ |
‘face’ |
/hmái-hài/ |
‘faces’ |
|
|
/hmài-dà:m/ |
‘the particular faces’ |
|
|
|
|
|
The
fact that {-da:m} carries a sense of definiteness is further
clear from the point that this could be suffixed to plural
forms in {-hai} to particularise plural nouns, e.g. /pén-hài-dá:m/
‘the particular pens’
The plural forms so obtained are used only when the situation
specifically demands plural reference. Otherwise, in all general
reference such as / mìhríem thíthéi
á nìh/ ‘man is mortal’, /vàté thí lè:rèh
án ùm/ ‘bird lives in trees’ etc. only the root forms of singular
forms of the nouns are used. But when plurality is signalled
by any other constituent in the sentence, the relevent nouns
need not be pluralised by affixation as described above. |
| 3.2.1.2 |
Pluralisation
of Kinship Terms |
|
The
kinship nouns in Hmar also form their plural by suffixing
the same plural marker {-hai}. It may, however, be noted that
such plural forms do not refer to ‘a number of fathers’, ‘a
number of brothers’ etc., but to ‘father and others’, ‘brother
and others’ etc. It may further be notes that the kinship
terms themselves vary according to the sex of the ego. Given
below are few examples highlighting both the points : |
| /ùré/ |
(with
/ùré-hài/reference
to ego)’ |
‘brothers',
brother, and others ego' |
/ á/ |
‘brother
(with /a-hài/
reference to female ego’ |
‘brothers’,
brother and others of female ego’ |
| /pá/ |
‘father’
/pá-hài/ |
‘father
and others of
both male and female ego’ |
| /nú/ |
‘mother’
/nú-hài/ |
‘mother
& others of
both male & female ego’ |
| /fár/ |
‘sister’
(with /fár-hài/ |
‘sister’,
‘sister & reference
to others of male male ego’ ego’ |
| /zúor/ |
‘sister
(with /zúor-hái/
/reference to female ego)’ |
‘sister’,
‘sister & others of female ego’ |
|
|
|
|
| When
Plurity is signalled by Nouns of Multitude |
When
a noun of multitude follows the noun the plurality of the
nouns referred to becomes redundant and there is no need to
pluralise the noun. |
| /pfhùná/ |
‘chair’ |
| /hùná
tàmtàk/ |
‘many
chairs’ |
| /hùná
pàpì/ |
‘all
chairs’ |
| /náupá/ |
‘boy’
‘child’ |
| /náupá
rùol/ |
‘a
group of boys’ ‘children’ |
| /níhlìep/ |
‘umbrella’ |
| /níhlíep
támtàk/ |
‘many
umbrellas’ |
| /mìt/ |
‘eye’ |
| /mìt
pàhní/ |
‘a
pair of eyes’ |
|
|
|
Similarly,
in a phrase where any associated word indicates involvement
of a number of items referred to be the noun, the noun need
not be pluralised. |
| /pívút/ |
‘dust’ |
/pílvútà
sìp/ |
‘full
of dust’ |
| /bàbá:/ |
‘white
ants’ |
/bàbáà:
sìp/ |
‘full
of white ants’ |
|
|
|
|
|
| When
Plurality is signalled by Numerals |
When
any numeral expressing ‘two’ or ‘more’ (for details on Numerals
see sec. 3.2.2) follows a noun the plurality is redundant
|
