[Lingtyp] FW: Plural markers on (already) plural pronouns

[Denis CREISSELS]

In Mandinka (Mande), the plural marker of nouns is –lú, and personal pronouns have two forms, non-emphatic and emphatic. The non-emphatic forms are ŋ́ (1SG), í (2SG), à (3SG), ŋ̀ (1PL), álí (2PL) and ì (3PL). In the singular, the emphatic marker ‑te is simply added to the non-emphatic form (ń-tè, í-tè, à-té), but in the plural, the emphatic marker must be followed by the plural marker ‑lú (ǹ-tè-lú, álí-tè-lú, ì-tè-lú), in spite of the fact that the first formative is already unambiguously plural.

 

Best wishes,

Denis

 

 

From: Lingtyp <lingtyp-bounces at listserv.linguistlist.org> on behalf of Ponrawee Prasertsom <ponrawee.pra at gmail.com>
Date: Friday, 15 November 2019 at 17:02
To: "lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org" <lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org>
Subject: [Lingtyp] Plural markers on (already) plural pronouns

 

Dear all, 

 

I have been looking at a number of Tai languages and found that in some of these languages, plural pronouns can optionally take a plural marker normally used on common nouns. For instance, in Shan (Southwestern Tai), the third person plural pronoun khau can optionally take the plural marker cɯ(nai), viz. khau cɯ(nai)--at least according to Cushing 1871.

 

Assuming this analysis is correct (if it's not please kindly inform me), I'm wondering how rare this is for pronouns? A quick lookup revealed that a similar phenomenon called "double plural marking" is found in some languages, but seems to be restricted to common nouns only. Does anyone know of any other instances like this for pronouns in other languages?

 

Sources: Cushing, Josiah Nelson. Grammar of the Shan Language. Rangoon: American Mission Press, 1871.

 

Best regards,

 

-- 

Ponrawee Prasertsom

 

Graduate Student

Department of Linguistics

Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University

Bangkok, Thailand

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