and
there is no need to affix any plural suffix to the noun. (By
contrast, in a language like English, the noun has to be invariably
pluralized when any numeral meaning ‘two’ ‘three’ or ‘more’
qualifies the noun.) |
/ hù ná/ |
‘chair’ |
| /hùná
pàkhàt/
|
‘one chair’ |
| /hùná
pàhnì/
|
‘two chairs’ |
| /hùná
pàthúm/
|
‘three chairs’ |
| /hùná
pàlí/
|
‘four chairs’ |
| /níhlíep/
|
‘umbrella’ |
| /níhlíep
pàkhàt/
|
‘one umbrella’ |
| /níhlíep
pàí/
|
‘four umbrellas’ |
| /níhlíep
pàá/
|
‘five umbrellas’ |
| /níhlíep
pàrùk/
|
‘six umbrellas’ |
| /níhlíep
sò:m/
|
‘ten umbrellas’ |
|
|
|
| 3.2.1.4 |
Pluralisation
of Loan Nouns |
|
Nouns
which are loans from some foreign languages and are being
used extensively in Hmar also follow the general pattern of
pluralisation by suffixation. |
| /pén/ |
‘pen’ |
/pén-hài/
|
‘pens’ |
| /sìkúl/ |
‘school’ |
/sìkúl-hài/
|
‘schools’ |
/k léz/ |
‘college’ |
/kléz-hài/
|
‘colleges’ |
| /sáikál/ |
‘cycle’ |
/sáikál-hài/
|
‘cycles’ |
| /bàzá:r/ |
‘market’ |
/bàzá:r-hái/
|
‘markets’ |
|
|
|
|
|
| 3.2.1.5 |
Definiteness
of the Nouns |
|
Hmar
nouns in singular sense have a specific feature of definiteness.
When a noun, in singular sense, has already been in the field
of focus between the speaker and hearer, i.e. the speaker
and the hearer have talked about it sometime or somewhere
before, it is obligatory for the speaker to use some definitive
markers as post position at the noun. The use of such definitive
markers particularizes a token out of a type. For instance,
/in/
means ‘any house’ and it makes no specific or definitive reference,
but /in-kha/ means ‘ particular house’ about which both the
speaker and the hearer had been talking or referring or before,
and are referring to the same ‘house’ now.
Hmar nouns co-occur with a number of such post positions marking
definiteness. Their uses can’t be regulated under any specific
rules. Their uses, to a great extent, are lexically conditioned,
although, however, some tentative semantic criteria could
be be worked out. Listed below are some such post positions
marking definiteness of the nouns. |
/cù/
/khà(h)/, /khí/, /khú/, /s / |
These
are all morphemic alternants. Of these, /cu/ is the most commonly
used one. The uses of the above could be illustrated as under
: |
/túisùns / |
‘well’ |
| /túisùnscù/ |
‘the
particular well’ |
| /náupá/ |
‘child’ |
/náupá
cù/
/náupá
khà/
/náupá
khì/
/náupá
khù/
/náupá
s/ |
 ‘the
particular child’ |
|
|
| /pén/ |
‘pen’ |
/pén
cú/
/pén khà/
/pén khì/
/pén s/ |
 ‘the
particular pen’ |
|
|
| /nùhmìi/ |
‘women’ |
/nùhmèi
cú/
/nùhmèi khá/
/nùhmèi khí/
/nùhmèi khú/
/nùhmèi s/ |
‘the
particular women’ |
|
