The animate nouns in common gender may optionally be
specified for feminine gender. Where specified, the feminine is marked for
pre-reproductive, reproductive and post-reproductive stages by different
suffixes.
(a)
The non-human animate pre-reproductive feminity is
expressed by the suffix /-ch*/. The nouns taking the suffix would represent
animals and birds before the egglaying/offspring bearing stage.
/tyś-chẽ/
`hen’
/macįb-chẽ/
`cow’
/kwįg-chẽ/
`bitch’
/tamyā-chẽ/
`tigress’
(b)
The non-human animate reproductive feminity is
expressed by suffix /-tapi/. The nouns taking this suffix would represent
the animals and birds in the egg-laying/offspring- bearing stage.
/tyś-tapi/
`hen’
/macįb-tapi/
`cow’
/kwįg-tapi/
`bitch’
/tamyā-tapi/
`tigress’
(c)
The non-human animate
post-reproductive famininity is expressed by the suffix /-krł/-. The nouns
taking this suffix would represent animals and birds beyond the
egg-laying/offspring bearing stage.
/tyś-krł/
`hen’
/macį-krł/
`cow’
/kwįg-krł/
`bitch’
/tamyā-krł/
`tigress’
Number :
Only count nouns are inflected for
number. The number inflexion is between singular and plural.
Singular :
Most of the nouns are lexically
singular. However, it may be reinforced by either the suffix /-ge/ or the
numeral /kh/ `one’.
l
g-kįr
/
/ 
