Datapoint Kriol/Occurrence of nominal plural markers
Plural marking is rather variable in Kriol. Plural marking with humans – by reduplication of the head noun (rare) or a modifying adjective, the use of plural determiners ole ~ ola ~ orla ~ olda or the plural suffix -lot ~ -lat on demonstratives – is the norm. Plural marking with inanimates is rare and absence of plural marking with humans is rare, but variation is found in all categories. (Examples 136 and 145 illustrate a noun phrase with human, plural reference without a plural marker.) Plural-marked nouns do not co-occur with numeral quantification.
Values 
Variable plural marking of human or inanimate nouns
- Example 25-22:
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Thei bin bayimbat ola nyuwannyuwan modiga na. Yu luk olkain modiga nyuwannyuwan la B.Thei3plbinpstbay-im-batbuy-tr-progolaplnyuwan~nyuwanred.new:adjmodigacarna.nowYu2sgluklookolkainall.kindmodigacarnyuwan~nyuwanred.new:adjlalocB.B.They bought new cars then. You look at all the cars that are new at B. (place name)
Source: Angelo et al. 1998
- Example 25-45:
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Fes yu garra putim detlat faib ting la yu finga [...].Fesfirstyu2sggarrafut/obligput-imput-trdet-latdem-plfaibfivetingthinglalocyu2sgfingafinger[...].[...]First you have to put those five things in your hand [...].
Source: Hudson 1985: 30
- Example 25-80:
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Ai bin gowin skul orlataim. Afda tharran ai orlas kambek en abam dina en go pleibat garra orla kid.Ai1sgbinpstgow-ingo-prog2skulschoolorlataim.alwaysAfdaaftertharrandist:adjai1sgorlasalwayskam-bekcome-backenandab-amhave-trdinadinnerenandgogoplei-batplay-proggarracom/insorlaplkid.childI used to go to school every day. After school I would come back and have dinner and then go and play with the children.
Source: Hudson 1985: 32
- Example 25-113:
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Dei bin jingginabat dislot olmenolmenwan.Dei3plbinpstjingg-in-abatthink-prog2-aboutdis-lotprox-plolmen~olmen-wan.red.men-adjThey were thinking about it, these old men.
Source: Sandefur and Sandefur 1982: 61
- Example 25-116:
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Thet olgamanolgaman olabat jingat na "[...]".Thetdemolgaman~olgamanred.older.womanolabat3pljing-atsing-outnanow"[...]".[...]Those women, they call out now: "[...]"
- Example 25-131:
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Im kukumbat eig.Im3sgkuk-um-batcook-tr-progeig.eggHe is cooking eggs.
Source: Sandefur and Sandefur 1982: 65
- Example 25-132:
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D. im med langa ole boi.D.D.im3sgmedmadlangalocoleplboi.boyD. is mad with the boys.
- Example 25-133:
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Yu kan tok la thislot medbaga.Yu2sgkancan.negtoktalklalocthis-lotprox-plmed-baga.mad-adj3You can’t talk to these mad ones (children).
- Example 25-134:
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Nomo gata lif, thislot botel tri.Nomoneggatacomlif,leafthis-lotprox-plbotelbottletri.treeThey don’t have leaves, these bottle trees!
- Example 25-135:
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Yubala go gedim main daga. Nomo wori bla ola pipul.Yubala2plgogoged-imget-trmain1sg.possdaga.tuckerNomonegworiworrybladat/possolaplpipul.peopleYou lot go and get my food. Don’t worry about the people.
Source: Bennett 1986: 1
- Example 25-136:
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Wi yusdu habim kid la bush.Wi1plyusduhabhab-imhave-trkidchildlalocbush.bushWe used to have children in the bush.
- Example 25-137:
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Imin ded silip eniwei la ola rok.Im=in3sg=pstdeddeadsilipsleepeniweianywaylalocolaplrok.rockHe went sound asleep on the rocks.
Source: Galmurr and Willika 1996
- Example 25-138:
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Ai bin bilimap olda eig.Ai1sgbinpstbil-im-apfill-tr-upoldapleig.eggI filled it up with the eggs.
Source: Sandefur and Sandefur 1982: 65
- Example 25-139:
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Imin polis treka olegija na, til imin hevim ole children.Im=in3sg=pstpolispolicetrekatrackerolegijaaltogetherna,nowtiltillim=in3sg=psthev-imhave-troleplchildren.childrenHe was a police tracker for good then, until he had children.
- Example 25-140:
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Yu bin ji ole nat [...] boling dan?Yu2sgbinpstjiseeoleplnatnut[...][...]bol-ingfall-prog2dan?downDid you see the nuts falling down?
- Example 25-141:
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Wal dislot bed, fram antop dei bin – dei bin lukinat na.Walwelldis-lotprox-plbed,birdframfromantopabovedei3plbinpst–dei3plbinpstluk-in-atlook-prog2-outna.nowBut these birds were watching from above.
Source: Sandefur and Sandefur 1982: 61
- Example 25-142:
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Ala munanga bin lus olabat shap [...] ebarrijing!Alaplmunanganon-Aboriginalbinpstlusloseolabat3plshapshop[...][...]ebarrijing!belongingsThe non-Aboriginals lost their shops [...] (all their) belongings!
Source: Angelo et al. 1998
- Example 25-143:
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Wanbala olmen bin ran garrimap thad boks. Imin rekin im thad bigwan-bigwan peket.Wan-balaone-adj2olmenmanbinpstranrungarrimappick:upthaddemboks.boxIm=in3sg=pstrekinthink/sayim3sgthaddembigwan-bigwanred.big:adjpeket.packetOne old man ran and picked up that box. He reckoned it was those big packets.
Source: Angelo et al. 1998
- Example 25-144:
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Ai bin gibitbat la ola kid tu sambala mani blanga plei.Ai1sgbinpstgib-it-batgive-tr-proglalocolaplkidchildtutoosam-balasome-adj2manimoneyblangadat/possplei.playI was also giving the children some money for playing.
Source: Angelo et al. 1998
- Example 25-145:
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Dumaji ai bin askimbat kwestyin la thad munanga na weya alabat wek jeya.Dumajibecauseai1sgbinpstask-im-batask-tr-progkwestyinquestionlalocthaddemmunanganon.Aboriginalnanowweyasubordalabat3plwekworkjeya.thereBecause I was questioning the non-Aboriginals who are working there.
Source: Angelo et al. 1998
- Confidence:
- Intermediate