| 262
|
a. |
modo ka-pi-müi-pfo |
‘[any] male teacher’ |
| |
|
|
|
| |
b. |
modo ka-pi-müi-pfü |
‘[any] female teacher’ |
| |
|
|
[participal nouns] |
|
The Dual Number
|
The Dual is expressed by -hi the
truncated form of the cardinal kahi ‘two’. Like -na,
the masculine singular marker and -khru, one of
the two modes of pluralization, hi is also unilaterally
dependent on individuating clitics when it attaches to absolute
nominals but, like -na, and unlike -khru,
can close participal nouns when it is not dependent on individuators.
|
| 263
|
*a |
larübvü - hi |
|
‘two books’ |
| |
|
|
{ hi } |
|
| |
b. |
larübvü-hĩ- |
{  i
} |
the two books’ |
| |
|
|
{ sü } |
|
| 264
|
*a |
otu - hĩ |
|
‘two domestic ruminant
bovines’ |
| |
|
|
{ hi } |
|
| |
b |
otu-hĩ- |
{ i
} |
‘the two domestic
ruminant bovines’ |
| |
|
|
{ sü } |
|
| 265
|
*a |
osi-hi |
|
‘two dogs’ |
| |
|
|
{ hi } |
|
| |
b. |
osi-hĩ- |
{ i
} |
‘the two dogs’ |
| |
|
|
{ sü } |
|
| 266
|
*a |
mikrümüi-hĩ |
|
‘two Meiteis’ |
| |
|
|
{ hi } |
|
| |
b |
mikrümüi-hĩ- |
{ i
} |
‘the two Meiteis’ |
| |
|
|
{ sü } |
|
| 267
|
*a |
kasamüi-hi |
|
‘two friends’ |
| |
|
|
{ hi } |
|
| |
b |
kasamüi-hĩ- |
{ i
} |
‘the two friends’ |
| |
|
|
{ sü } |
|
|
When it is unilaterally dependent on individuators,
hi is however equivalent to the sequence of the
cardinal kaxi ‘two’ and individuators so that the
following [268 a & b] mean the same :
|
| 268
|
a. |
a1
na2 |
hĩ-i3 |
larücü4
-li5 |
vu-we6
|
| |
b. |
a1
na2 |
kaxi-i3 |
larücü4
-li5 |
vu-we6
|
| |
|
‘all my 1 |
two3
children2 |
go6
to5 |
school4
|
|
When it is not dependent on individuators as it attaches
to absolute nominals, it carries an all-inclusive meaning,
signifies an all-inclusive set.
|
| 269
|
a |
na-hi |
larücü-li |
vu-we |
| |
|
‘all my |
two children |
go to school’ |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 270
|
|
laiübvü-hĩ |
pfo-ko |
‘bring all two books
here’ |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 271 |
|
pfo1tu2
- hĩ3 |
ivetu2
- hĩ3 |
vu ta-we5
|
| |
|
all3
his1 |
two3
oxen2 |
go5
to the woods4
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| 272 |
|
ai1 |
mikrümüi2
-hi3 |
sü-we4
|
| |
|
I1
know4 |
all two3 |
Meiteis2
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| 273
|
|
omüi-hĩ1
|
ta-ie2 |
‘all two people 1
have left2 |
|
In 269, for instance, the speaker has only two children,
which is indicated by the use of -hi)
rather than of kahi)/kaxi
‘two’ the cardinal. The speaker of
|
| 268
|
c. |
a1
na2 |
kaxi/kahĩ3 |
larücü4
-li5 vu-we6
|
| |
|
two3
of my1 |
children2 |
go6
to5 school4
|
|
has more than two children which is indicated by the
use of kaxi rather than of -hi).
Contrast similarly the rest of the examples above with their
variants below :
|
| 274 |
larübvü1 |
kaxi/kahĩ2 |
pfo-ko3
|
|
| |
bring3 |
two2
[of the] |
books1
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| 275 |
pfo1
tu2 |
kaxi/kahĩ3 |
ive hru-li4 |
vu ta-we5
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
two of his |
oxen go |
to the |
woods |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 276 |
ai1 |
mikrümüi2 |
kaxi/kahi)3 |
sü-we4
|
| |
I1
know4 |
two3 |
[of the] |
Meiteis2
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| 277 |
omüi1 |
kaxi/kahĩ2 |
ta-ie3
|
|
| |
two2
|
[of the]
|
men1
left3 |
|
|
