Value Variable plural marking of human or inanimate nouns

Language:
Sri Lanka Portuguese
Parameter:
Occurrence of nominal plural markers

Examples

  1. malvaar avara istintu taan tesirvii doos pesaam
    malvaar
    Tamil
    agɔɔra
    now
    isti-ntu
    this-loc
    taam
    also
    te-sirvii
    prs-work
    doos
    two
    pesaam
    person
    Two Tamils are also working here now. OR: Two Tamils are even working here now.

    See Smith 1974-5: 1372

  2. um buku jaoyaa sara leʈʈar taparsa rɔnal
    um
    one
    buku
    book
    jaa-oyaa
    pst-look.at
    sara
    cond
    leʈʈar
    letter
    ta-parsa
    prs-be.visible
    rɔnal
    Ronald
    If [I] look at a book, the letters are visible, Ronald.

    See Smith 1974-5: 5077

  3. [...] tajuntaa luvaara andaatu, nosa jeentis doos pesaan tiɲatu, japapiyaa see, isti malvaars graasa tafaya [...]
    [...]
    [...]
    ta-juntaa
    [prs-meet
    luvaara
    place
    andaa-tu,
    go-pfv.ptcp]
    nosa
    [1pl.gen
    jeentis
    people
    doos
    two
    pesaan
    person
    tiɲa-tu,
    stand-pfv.ptcp
    jaa-papiyaa
    pst-speak
    see,
    cond]
    isti
    this
    malvaar-s
    Tamil-pl
    graasa
    ridicule
    ta-faya
    prs-do
    [...]
    [...]
    [...] having gone to a place where [they] get together, if two of our people stand and talk, the(se) Tamils ridicule [them].

    See Smith 1977: 148-149

  4. muytu moosamley isti luvaaras
    muytu
    very
    moosam=ley
    bad=like
    isti
    this
    luvaara-s
    place-pl
    Very bad, these places!

    See Smith 1974-5: 5244

  5. aka laraandu indum meʃiin teem. meʃiins teem taantu
    aka
    that
    laraa-ndu
    leave-ptcp
    inda
    another
    uŋ
    one
    meʃiin
    machine
    teem.
    prs.be.
    meʃiin-s
    machine-pl
    teem
    prs.be
    taantu
    many
    That aside, there is another machine. There are many machines. OR: That aside, [we] have another machine. [We] have many machines.

    See Smith 1974-5: 5303

  6. noos sarooti talimaa liima?
    noos
    1pl
    sarooti
    saw
    ta-limaa
    prs-file
    liima?
    file
    The file that we file our saws with?

    See Smith 1974-5: 4920