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Is there a dual or unit augmented form (in addition to plural or augmented) for all person categories in the pronoun or person index system?

Summary

A dual or unit augmented form must be present throughout the paradigm (i.e. for all person categories) for this feature to be coded as 1. Both independent pronouns and bound person indexes are to be considered in coding this feature. Inclusive and exclusive categories of first person are not considered separate person categories for the purposes of coding this feature (e.g. if a language has dual number in third, second, and any first person category it is sufficient for triggering a 1). A dual or unit augmented form for a single person category in the paradigm is not sufficient for a 1 code.

Procedure

  1. If there is at least one grammaticalized pronoun in each person category in a language's independent pronoun paradigm that specifies that the number of what is being referred to is two, then code 1.
  2. If there is at least one morpheme for each person category in a language's person indexing paradigm that specifies that the number of what is being referred to is two, then code 1.
  3. If the expression of dual number for one or more person categories in the pronoun or person index paradigm(s) relevant to steps 1-2 requires a non-dual pronoun or index form plus a separate, general dual marker, code 0 and include a comment.
  4. If there are multiple pronoun (or person indexing) paradigms in the language and at least one of them includes a dual or unit-augmented number form for all person categories, then code 1.
  5. Otherwise code 0.

Examples

Kayardild (ISO: gyd, Glottolog: kaya1319)

Basic pronominal stem forms (from Round 2009: 172)

Person Singular Dual Plural
1 ŋat̪- ŋar- ŋal-
2 ɲiŋ- kir- kil-
3 ɳi- pir- pil-

Kayardild has a dual form for each person category in its pronominal paradigm, so it is coded 1.

Cherokee (ISO 639-3: chr, Glottolog: cher1273)

Cherokee has a dual form for first person (both inclusive and exclusive) and second person pronominal prefixes, but not for third person.

Cherokee pronominal prefixes (From Montgomery-Anderson 2008: 168)

Person Singular Dual Plural
1.INCL ji-/k- iinii- iitii-
1.EXCL NA oostii- oojii-
2 hi- stii- iijii-
3 a-/ka- NA anii-

Because there is no dual form for the third person, Cherokee does not meet the criteria for this feature and is coded 0.

Tai Phake (ISO 639-3: phk, Glottolog: phak1238)

According to Morey (2005: 219), there is a dual pronoun ha (meaning ‘we two’), that survives in some texts, although in some examples the dual meaning has been bleached.

This author further states: "Banchob (1987: 44) also points out that in Phake, the word khe ‘both’ can be added to the singular pronouns to form dual pronouns, as in hau khe ‘both of us’. The marking of duality is not obligatory and only used if the speaker or writer has a specific reason for indicating it." (Morey 2005: 219).

Tai Phake is coded 0, as this marking is not obligatory and not conventionalized beyond the equivalent of the English ‘both of us’.

Further reading

Corbett, Greville G. 2000. Number. (Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics.) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

References

Montgomery-Anderson, Brad. 2008. A reference grammar of Oklahoma Cherokee. Lawrence, Kansas: University of Kansas. (Doctoral dissertation.)

Morey, Stephen. 2005. The Tai languages of Assam. (Pacific Linguistics, 565.) Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.

Round, Erich Ross. 2009. Kayardild morphology, phonology and morphosyntax. New Haven: Yale University. (Doctoral dissertation.)

Related Features

Patron

Hannah J. Haynie