Datapoint San Andres Creole English/Occurrence of nominal plural markers

Plural marking is very frequent but not obligatory. Factors favouring plural marking are animacity, especially humanness, and definiteness. Plural marking of the same noun in the preceding sentence disfavours marking it again. Quantifiers and demonstratives may replace the nominal plural marker.

Values

Variable plural marking of human or inanimate nouns

Example 10-37:
Di pikniny dem we stodi Baptis taak di trii.
Di
art.def
pikniny
child
dem
pl
we
rel
stodi
study
Baptis
Baptist
taak
talk
di
art.def
trii.
three
The children who study at one of the Baptist schools talk the three (languages).
Example 10-38:
Aafta di skiel gaan iin di sii batam [...].
Aafta
after
di
art.def
skiel
scale
gaan
go.pst
iin
in
di
art.def
sii
sea
batam
bottom
[...].
[...]
After the scales had fallen onto the bottom of the sea [...].
Example 10-39:
Yo finganiel dem tuu long, sha!
Yo
2sg.poss
finga-niel
finger-nail
dem
pl
tuu
too
long,
long
sha!
sir
Your fingernails are too long, sir!
Example 10-40:
So aal di animal neva kuda flai op.
So
so
aal
all
di
art.def
animal
animal
neva
neg.ant
kuda
can.pst
flai
fly
op.
up
But not all of the animals could fly up [to the mountain top].
Confidence:
Very certain