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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Dear All,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I'm wondering whether any of you might know
the historical source of the final vowel in Mambai words such as /ausa/ (<
*asu) 'dog', or /mauna/ (< manu < *manuk) 'bird'. It occurs only on
nouns, which suggests a morphological source, but no current description of the
language that I have been able to consult mentions a nominal suffix </FONT><FONT
size=2 face=Arial>-a.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Thanks!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Bob Blust</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>