tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Nov 21 22:05:31 2000
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RE: plurals (was Re: Grammar Highlight Each Day)
ja' SarrIS:
>It is true that ghunchu'wI' has introduced the term "irregular", which is
>not mentioned at all by Okrand in his descriptions of this aspect of
>grammar. I see where the temptation springs from to use the term
>"irregular", but it probably does not add any clarity to this discussion. In
>TKD, Okrand refers to the plural forms of these words as inherantly plural
>nouns and the singular counterparts of these words are simply other nouns.
>One is not an irregular form of the other. They are actually different
>nouns.
Thank you for this insight. However, TKD itself uses the phrase "singular
forms" to refer to {DoS}, {peng}, and {vIj}. Even if they are merely
different nouns, they are obviously special cases, since explicitly
pluralizing them with the {-mey} suffix adds the "scattered about" meaning.
KGT also supports my position. On page 50, we read: "The plural form of
{mang} is a different word altogether: {negh} ('warriors, soldiers')."
Yes, it's a different word, but it's called a "plural form" of the singular
word.
>The closest English equivalents I can come up with are like "gaggle" is not
>an irregular form of "goose". It's another noun. It just happens to
>represent plural geese. If you were to refer to a singular member of a
>gaggle, you'd be talking about a goose.
I understand "gaggle" to represent the flock rather than the geese
themselves, but I respect what you're saying. If it weren't for the fact
that TKD calls {peng} a singular form of {cha} and {negh} a plural form of
{mang}, I'd probably agree with you completely. I'd even offer other
near-equivalent examples, such as "chair/furniture" or "tree/forest". But
the analogies are imperfect. Instead of explaining {ray'} as a collection
of {DoSmey}, Okrand translates the inherent plural "targets" as a true
plural of the singular counterpart "target".
If it helps the situation, I can stop using the term "irregular plural",
and just call them "different nouns for singular and plural meanings of the
same idea".
-- ghunchu'wI' 'utlh