How many plurals when many people are morons?

Started by 'Onatxan te Skxawng Tìrey'itan, July 18, 2012, 01:12:49 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

'Onatxan te Skxawng Tìrey'itan

So say you were talking with a friend and you wanna call a few other friends morons. In English, you would say "Those people are morons", since it's a pluralization of "person", and therefore pluralizing of "moron".
However, if you translate that to Na'vi, it appears to be "(ay)Fo lu ayskxawng". Which to me seems a bit awkward if you were to use a plural prefix multiple times when describing the same thing, but with different words ("morons" and "people" refer to the same thing, where "morons" is describing people. likewise, "ay+skxawng" describes "ay+fo").

Point being, would the sentence be "(ay)Fo lu ayskxawng." or "(ay)Fo lu skxawng." And for the more grammatical question: when describing multiple things the same way with a noun ("noun lu descriptive noun"), does the descriptive noun get pluralized, or just the subject? (if neither, then what?)

In typing the word subject for the previous question, it also brings up this point that i'm fairly sure of but just wanna make sure of: since it's a description, it's not a transitive sentence, and therefore doesn't get any case suffixes, right?
Nga txo ke flä nìsngä'i, rä'ä kivä Eywa'evengne! ;)

Blue Elf

There's rule: if referring to the same things in one sentence, mark that thing for number only once. So:
Mefo lu karyu -> they two are teachers
Fo lu skxawng -> they are morons.

Also, if you say some general statement, you use singular even if plural is assumed (according context)
Palulukanìl yom yerikit -> Thanators eat hexapedes

But: Fìrewon oel tse'a palulukanit a yom yerikit -> this morning I saw thanator which eat hexapede. It is not general statement, you speak about something what hapened this morning
Oe lu skxawng skxakep. Slä oe nerume mi.
"Oe tasyätxaw ulte koren za'u oehu" (Limonádový Joe)


'Onatxan te Skxawng Tìrey'itan

Nga txo ke flä nìsngä'i, rä'ä kivä Eywa'evengne! ;)

Tirea Aean

Late to say exactly what Blue Elf said. Ninja points.

`Eylan Ayfalulukanä

 Is this correct, then?
Fírewon oel tse'a palulukanit a yom fko yerikit

Yawey ngahu!
pamrel si ro [email protected]

Tirea Aean

Quote from: `Eylan Ayfalulukanä on July 18, 2012, 08:44:08 PM
Is this correct, then?
Fírewon oel tse'a palulukanit a yom fko yerikit

O.o ?

Fìrewon oel tse'a palulukanit a yom yerikit

I assume? that is,

This morning I saw a thanator that eats/ate a hexapede.

Or did I understand you incorrectly?