jeff_l
(Jeff_L)
#1
5. 1 Nominal modifiers 249
b. iy-aen masjraed
one-Ma conversation
'one conversation'
c. ly-set ""t-äe-set-t
one-Fe Fe-Sg-donkey-FeSg
'one female donkey'
Most masculine nouns begin with a vocalic prefix (or a stem-initial V).
The numeral, presumably ly-aen, is then followed, as in (229.a), by another n,
which I take to be the preposition 'of. This in turn is followed by the noun
with a reduced prefix. The combination seems rather frozen, the second η
being more euphonic than grammatical in nature. It is absent in the less
common case where the masculine noun is C-initial (229.b). The extra η also
fails to appear in the feminine counterpart (229.c). This suggests an alternative
analysis of the extra η in (229.a) as part of the numeral, i.e. ly-asnn (prevocalic
allomorph ofly-aen).
I have transcribed the numerals in (229.a,c) with double (nonlexical)
accent. Pronunciation is variable, but I often do hear both an initial-syllable
accent (the default word accent) and a light final-syllable accent (the
compound-initial secondary accent). In (229.b) the noun maejrasd is
unaccented, so primary phrasal accent falls on the numeral.
For '10' as prenominal modifier, another possibility is a compound
beginning with the related noun t-amara 'tensome', e.g. t-a-mara η "as-waetay
'(a) tensome of year(s)', i.e., '(a) decade'.
Occasionally a numeral follows the noun (230).
(230) a. aess-efael-aer i-lasmaw-sen-in assin
Caus-be.tanned.Reslt-lSgS Pl-skin-MaPl-ISgPoss two
Ί have tanned two of my hides.' [K]
b. le-γ 1-sed-aen kaerdd,
have.Reslt-lSgS Pl-donkey-MaPl three
agrer-aen assin ad ^t-äe-set-t
male.donkey-MaPl two.Ma and Fe-Sg-donkey-FeSg
Ί have three donkeys—two male donkeys and a female
donkey.' [K]
For derivatives of '4' and '6' denoting dentition (hence age-grade) of
rams, see end of §8.10.
