Muai - Quantifiers
kunfi hunti
Quantifiers include numbers and words like "all", "some", "few",
etc. In their most basic form, their roots are suffixed with -ai
(nukai, monai, kopai, etc.). Some of those roots are:
Numbers:
lam- : zero
mun- : one
nin- : two
not- : three
tet- : four
tak- : five
kuk- : six
kip- : seven
pop- : eight
pem- : nine
With other suffixes, we get variations like:
munai : one (1)
muniu : first (1o.)
munui : last (i.e., first from behind)
munoi : complete (x1)
munei : each (:1)
ninai : two (2)
niniu : second (2o.)
ninui : next to last, penultimate (second last)
ninoi : double (x2)
ninei : half (:2)
Numbers greater than nine are made by joining numeral roots with
-a-,
mun-a-lam-ai = muna-lamai : 10 (ten)
mun-a-mun-ai = muna-munai : 11 (ten)
and so on,
nina-nina-ninai : 222
popa-muna-lama-ninai : 8109
There are other quantifiers that do not correspond to English
numerals. For instance:
kolai : a group
kopai : the whole set
fopai : all
halai : infinity
mafai : many
kifai : few
pokai : enough
Using the other suffixes, -iu (for ordinals), -ui (ordinal in
opposite sense), -oi (multiples) and -ei (fractions), we get
interesting words like halei (infinitesimal), mafei
: (small piece), kifiu (among the first ones), kifiu
(among the last ones), fopoi (squared, raised to the second
power [can you see that?]), etc.
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