Numbers 203
In another, related structure, the number phrase is used as a secondary predicate,
taking the object voice prefix e-, the prefix ka-, and the ‘locative’ suffix -e,
schematically e-ka-Num-e. This collocation again indicates the number of enti-
ties involved in the activity, but this time does not commit the speaker to the
proposition that they acted together as a group. Thus, alongside (95), there is the
sentence in (96).
(96) Sengko' ngakan ajam e-ka-dhuwa-i ban Amie.
I AV.eat chicken OV-KA-two-E with Amie
‘Amie and I both ate the chicken.’
In (96), there is no requirement that Amie and I ate together–only that we both
ate chicken. The lack of a requirement that there be collective action is hig-
hlighted in the following.
(97) Sarwo ban engko' maca buku e-ka-dhuwa-i/ka-dhuwa'-an. Sarwo
Sarwo and I AV.read book OV-KA-two-E/KA-two-AN Sarwo
maca bab settong sampe' tello', engko' bab empa' sampe' ennem.
AV.read chapter one until three I chapter four until six
‘Sarwo and I both read the same book. Sarwo read chapters one through
three and I read chapters four through six.’
While ekadhuwai and kadhuwa'an are both perfectly grammatical, the interpre-
tation is different. With ekadhuwai the notion is that Sarwo and I acted inde-
pendently; we may or may not have cooperated in dividing the task of reading
the book. With kadhuwa'an, Sarwo and I are most likely acting cooperatively,
perhaps dividing the task of reading. The example in (98), where tello' is the
base, indicates that this structure is generalized to other numbers and is not
unique to dhuwa' ‘two’.
(98) Sengko' entar ka Malang e-ka-tello-we bi' Toni ban Lukman.
I go to Malang OV-KA-three-E with Toni and Lukman
‘Toni, Lukman, and I all three went to Malang.’
Partitives are indicated in a number of different ways, largely subject to
speaker variation. One manner is to use the ka- prefix together with some other
specification of the set of entities being described. This is illustrated in (99-
100).
(99) Mored ka-dhuwa jiya badha e kellas sateya.
student KA-two this exist at class now
‘Two of these students are in class today.’