Associative plurals

[Guy Modica]

Let me add that -tachi can be added to any noun, including *teacher*, which
yields sensei-tachi. A pack of dogs can be referred to as inu-tachi.

Though come to think of it, I don't remember ever hearing inanimate nouns
suffixed in this way - Fukushima-tachi or baseball-tachi - though they may
be possible. Judging from some of the tentativeness of the assertions, and
the rudimentary questions being asked, perhaps having a native speaker weigh
in on the Japanese data would be fruitful. And I am not.

Guy Modica
Tokyo

On Wed, Apr 6, 2011 at 8:10 AM, David Tuggy <david_tuggy at sil.org> wrote:

> Thanks for the reply and the data.
>
> -tachi is always associative —have I got that right? Is -ra also? Does
> boku-ra ever clearly mean “I and the other speakers”, i.e. does the -ra mean
> “the group associated with me by also being speakers”? Does tanaka-ra ever
> mean “the group of people all called Tanaka”?
>
> —David T
>
>
> On 4/4/2011 10:19 PM, Iwasaki, Shoichi wrote:
>
>> Lise is right about Japanese, but 'tachi' can be added to pronouns as
>> well.  And many other Asian languages can do it too.
>>
>>  Japanese =
>> boku-ra; boku-tachi (boku=I, -tachi, -ra = associative plural suffix)
>>
>>  kimi-ra; kimi-tachi (kimi=you, -tachi, -ra = associative plural suffix)
>>
>> tanaka-ra, tanaka-tachi (tanaka = family name, ...), 'Tanaka and the gang'
>>
>> Thai=
>> phUak chan (phUak = group, chan = I) Me and my friends/siblings etc.
>> phUak tEE = you guys
>> phUak Aew (phUak = group, Aaw = (nick name))= Aew and her friends etc.
>>
>> Shoichi
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: funknet-bounces at mailman.rice.edu [mailto:
>> funknet-bounces at mailman.rice.edu] On Behalf Of Lise Menn
>> Sent: Monday, April 04, 2011 8:11 PM
>> To: David Tuggy
>> Cc: funknet
>> Subject: Re: [FUNKNET] Associative plurals
>>
>> Japanese -tachi would be an example - added only (as I understand it) to
>> personal names, and meaning 'X and those accompanying X'.  It can't be
>> interpreted as a plural, to the best of my knowledge.
>>        Lise Menn
>>
>> On Apr 4, 2011, at 8:59 PM, David Tuggy wrote:
>>
>>
>
>