Singular and Plural Nouns

Singular and Plural Nouns

There are several ways that nouns have singular and plural forms.  Some nouns add a suffix in both the singular and plural forms (as in mored ‘vegetable’ moreg ‘vegetables’). Other nouns only add a suffix in the plural form (as in rimaah ‘star’ rimaahg ‘stars’). Still other nouns that are uncountable only have a singular form (such as buil ‘fog’). Nouns that are collectives only have a plural form (such as iig ‘milk’).

Percentage Singular noun Plural noun
70% rimaah rimaahg star
5% runguud runguug bird type
15% buil --- fog
10% --- īīg milk

The following suffixes are found on plural nouns:

Plural suffixes
# Singular noun Plural noun
406 -g d̪aar d̪aarg throne
89 -ag celd celdag local broom
59 -eeg pong pongeeg knife sheath
3 -eg maroos marooseg spider
9 -aag bon bonaag heart
10 -aad gaag gaagaad bird type
5 -d̪ abee abeed maternal uncle
5 -ahg fand̪ fahndahg cheek
9 -+g aal aahlg my head/our heads

The following suffixes are found on singular nouns (All nouns that add a suffix in the singular form also add a suffix in the plural form):

Singular suffixes
# Singular noun Plural noun
49 -d runguud runguug bird type
6 -g awrg awreeg priest, chief
5 -j pebeej pebeeg tree type
4 -ad nyilahd nyilg intestine