Suffixes of Singular and Plural Nouns
There are three ways that nouns have singular and plural forms. They can add suffixes to the singular form as in koroposo ‘leaf’. They can add suffixes to the plural form as in bandukan ‘sword’. And in a few nouns, they add suffixes in both singular and plural forms as in lojïtso, lojïtän ‘stake for fishing with nets’.
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Three ways of forming singular and plural nouns |
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| Singular suffix | Root | Plural suffix | ||
| -so/ | koroposo | koropo | leaf | |
| /-an | banduk | bandukan | sword | |
| -so/-an | lojïtso | lojït- | lojïtän | stake for fishing with nets |
The following are the most common singular suffixes.
| Singular | Plural | ||
| -so/ | amaso | ama | sandal |
| -ï/ | mürï | mur | mosquito |
The following are the most common plural suffixes.
| Singular | Plural | ||
| -/-an, -än, -on | banduk | bandukan | sword |
| -/-at, -ät, -ot | äpü | äpüät | crime, guilt |
| -/-a, -ä, -o | dïlï | dïlïä | hole |
| -/-ni, -nï | kido | kidoni | chest, authority |
| -/-i | alaŋ | alaŋi | salt |
| -/-kä | yini | yïnïkä | co-wife |
| -/-ka | ŋode | ŋodeka | lame person |
| -/-ïn | modoŋ | müdüŋïn | elderly person |
| -/-in | ꞌdir | ꞌdirin | valley |
| -/-nä | käjï | käjïnä | town, cattle camp |
| -/-älä | güre | gürälä | dove |
| -/-ia, -ïä | münü | münïä | snake |
| -/-ti, -tï | mar | marti | chief, king |
| -/-sik, -sïk | kadi | kadisik | house |
| -/-si | ŋom | ŋomsi | face |
| /ku- | moye | kumoye | his father |
The following are the most common singular and plural suffix pairs.
| Singular | Plural | ||
| -so/-an, -än, -on | lojïtso | lojïtän | stake for fishing with nets |
| -so/-at, -ät | bodoso | bodoat | expert |
| -so/-ni, -ïn | onoso | ononi | clothe around waist |
