[Lexicog] Reduplication

[Jan Ullrich]

In Lakota (a native American language from the Siouan family), reduplication is used to mark inanimate plural in stative verbs:

sapa – it is black
sapsapa – they are black (inanimate)
sapapi – they are black (animate)

Both types of plural can be combined, as in:

Phehin sapsapapi. – Their hair is black. (reduplication marks the plurality of “hair”, the suffix –pi marks the plurality of the people or animals with black hair).

In active verbs and adverbs, plurality marks repetition and distribution through space or time.
There are other functions of reduplications but they are harder to categorize.

Jan

Lakota Language Consortium
www.lakhota.org

 


------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lexicographylist/

<*> Your email settings:
    Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lexicographylist/join
    (Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
    mailto:lexicographylist-digest at yahoogroups.com 
    mailto:lexicographylist-fullfeatured at yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    lexicographylist-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/