'Similative'

[Alexandra Aikhenvald]

Dear Alexandre,

Manambu (a Ndu language spoken in the East Sepik province of Papua New
Guinea) has a suffix -pek used in these meanings (that is, 'like', 'in
accordance with', and also as an approximative marker, e.g. with
numerals, some adjectives and nouns, and also as a comparative with
three adjectives). I called it 'similative' inb a number of publications
(and also in a reference grammar to be published next year, by OUP).

Best

Sasha

Quoting Alexandre Arkhipov <arxipov at PHILOL.MSU.RU>:

> Dear colleagues,
>
> Does any of you know of a (more or less established) term for a 
> case-like marker used in the contexts like
>     in accordance with N, in conformity with N, according to N
>     e.g. "law-MARKER" 'according to the law'
>
> The same marker is used to mark an approximate value:
>     e.g. "half-MARKER" 'about a half', "forty meter-MARKER"  
> 'approximately 40 meters'
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Alexandre

Professor Alexandra Aikhenvald, PhD, DLitt, FAHA
Associate Director and Postgraduate Coordinator
Research Centre for Linguistic Typology
La Trobe University
Victoria 3086
Tel: 61-(0)3-9479 6402
Fax: 61-(0)3-9467 3053
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/rclt/StaffPages/aikhenvald.htm