<div dir="ltr">Dear Silva,<div><br></div><div>The Addu dialect of Dhivehi has singulative number (of the Bayso type) for inanimates, and I believe Sinhala does too.</div><div><br></div><div>For Addu Dhivehi: </div>

<p class="gmail-MsoBibliography" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Fritz, Sonja. 2002. <i>The Dhivehi
language: A descriptive and historical grammar of Maldivian and its dialects</i>.
Würzburg: Ergon Verlag.</p><br>There are lots of references for Sinhala but I recommend Chandralal's grammar as a starting point:<p class="gmail-MsoBibliography" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"></p><p class="gmail-MsoBibliography" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11pt">Chandralal, Dileep. 2010. </span><i style="font-size:11pt">Sinhala</i><span style="font-size:11pt"> (London Oriental and African Language Library 15). Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company.</span>  <br></p><p class="gmail-MsoBibliography" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><br></p><p class="gmail-MsoBibliography" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Best wishes,</p><p class="gmail-MsoBibliography" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Jonathon</p></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Mon, 13 May 2019 at 17:15, Nurmio, Silva M <<a href="mailto:silva.nurmio@helsinki.fi">silva.nurmio@helsinki.fi</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">




<div dir="ltr">
<div style="font-family:Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">
<span>Dear all,</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">
<span><br>
</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">
<span>I’m looking for data on singulatives and I’m writing to ask for your help in tracking down more instances of this phenomenon. There is so far no comprehensive list of singulatives in the world’s languages that’s informed
 by an operational definition of what constitutes a singulative, and my aim is to produce such a database.
</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">
<span>My working definition of the singulative is that it is a noun form with any marker (inflectional or derivational) that creates a meaning ‘one’ or ‘(one) unit’ when added to a base, i.e. a singulativizing and individuating
 marker. Bases for singulatives tend to be mass nouns, plurals, collectives of different kinds, general number forms, and sometimes non-nominal bases like adjectives. Here are four examples of different types of singulatives under my definition:</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">
<span>(1) Bayso (Afro-Asiatic): <i>lúban</i> ‘lion(s)’ (general number), singulative
<i>lúban-titi </i>‘a lion’</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">
<span>(2) Russian (Indo-European) <i>gorox</i> ‘pea(s)’ (mass), singulative
<i>goroš-ina</i> ‘a pea’</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">
<span>(3) Italian (Indo-European) <i>cioccolato</i> ’chocolate’ (mass), singulative
<i>cioccolat-ino</i> ’a chocolate praline, chocolate sweet’</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">
<span>(4) Welsh (Indo-European) <i>unigol</i> ‘individual’ (adjective), singulative
<i>unigol-yn</i> ‘an individual’</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">
<span>These examples show that singulatives occur in different number systems, and they can be productive or unproductive (like the Russian -<i>ina</i> suffix). I also include diminutive markers which have a singulative function,
 as seen in (3) (Jurafsky 1996 calls this the ’partitive’ function of diminutives). Forms that are singulatives are often not described as such in grammars (especially types 3 and 4), making them harder to find. I am also including singulatives in older language
 stages which have since been lost (e.g. Old Irish).</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">
<span>Below is a list of languages (alphabetical order) on which I already have data. I would be very grateful for any pointers to grammars, language descriptions or other mentions of singulatives in languages which are not on
 the list, or if you think there are sources for any of the already listed languages that I’m likely to have missed.
</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">
<span>Thank you very much in advance!</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">
<span>Best wishes,</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">
<span>Silva Nurmio</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Aari</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Akkadian</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Arabic (several dialects)</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Arbore</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Baiso/Bayso</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Baule</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Berber</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Bidyogo</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Bora</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Breton</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Burushaski</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Cantonese</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Cornish</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Dagaare</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Dutch</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Enets (Forest Enets and Tundra
 Enets)</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Ewe</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Fox</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Gede'o</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Hebrew</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Imonda</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Italian</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Itelmen</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Kambaata</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Kiowa</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Krongo
</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Majang</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Maltese</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Marle (Murle)</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Masa</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Miraña</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Nafusi</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Nahuatl (all dialects?)</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Ojibwe (all dialects?)</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Old Irish</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Oromo (Borana dialect)</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Resígaro</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Russian</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Shilluk</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Shona</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Sidamo</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Swahili</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Tariana</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Tewa</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Tigre</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Tiwa</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Towa</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Turkana</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Ukrainian</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span style="color:black">Welsh</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span>Yiddish</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;line-height:normal">
<span>Zulu</span></p>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
</div>
<div style="font-family:Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div id="gmail-m_6200586114324448972Signature">
<div id="gmail-m_6200586114324448972divtagdefaultwrapper" dir="ltr" style="font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif">
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px">
Dr Silva Nurmio</p>
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px">
</p>
<div>Research Fellow<br>
Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies<br>
Fabianinkatu 24 (P.O. Box 4)<br>
00014 University of Helsinki, Finland</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><a href="https://tuhat.helsinki.fi/portal/en/person/sinurmio" class="gmail-m_6200586114324448972OWAAutoLink" target="_blank"></a><span class="gmail-m_6200586114324448972OWAAutoLink"><a href="https://tuhat.helsinki.fi/portal/en/person/sinurmio" target="_blank">https://tuhat.helsinki.fi/portal/en/person/sinurmio</a></span></div>
<div><span class="gmail-m_6200586114324448972OWAAutoLink"></span><a href="http://helsinki.academia.edu/SilvaNurmio" class="gmail-m_6200586114324448972OWAAutoLink" target="_blank"></a><br>
</div>
<br>
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px">
</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>

_______________________________________________<br>
Lingtyp mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:Lingtyp@listserv.linguistlist.org" target="_blank">Lingtyp@listserv.linguistlist.org</a><br>
<a href="http://listserv.linguistlist.org/mailman/listinfo/lingtyp" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://listserv.linguistlist.org/mailman/listinfo/lingtyp</a><br>
</blockquote></div>