Re: [Lingo] Re: [tlug] Mystical tabbing events

["Josh Glover" <jmglov@example.com>]

On 17/03/2008, David J Iannucci <jlinux@example.com> wrote:

> As with all other nouns in Japanese :-)  For those who might still hold
>  doubts about this question, be assured that -tachi and -ra (and any
>  similar ones I may be forgetting) are *not* expressions of plural number
>  in Japanese, which of course has no plural. It has various ways of
>  indicating multiplicity, but nothing that can be called "plural".

Right, but Japanese speakers might use 〜ら or 〜達 to disambiguate the
one or more than one state.

What is the linguistic definition of "plural"?

>  Ignoring the sensible linguistic explanations, I will submit my vote for
>  "ninjae" as the plural of ninja.  Demonstrating that there is no
>  necessary link between grammatical and biological gender :-)

Damn, I was hoping to catch you improperly forming a Latin plural, but
I should have known better, given that you are an actual linguist.

Hint for the peanut gallery, it ain't penis => penii. ;) (I may be
wrong, but I think that Latin has no nouns ending in -is, right?)

http://www.class.uidaho.edu/luschnig/EWO/1.htm

>  p.s. Follow-ups to Lingo please...

Cross-posting 'cuz I can. ;-P

-- 
Cheers,
Josh