Feb18 –  A Constructed Language

4 Feb18 Quantity and Temporal Morphosyntax

Legend: Definitions, Terms, <Text>, «apa», -Tags-, and "Glosses".

4.1 Quantity and Temporal Overview

Quantities include cardinal numbers and scalar quantities. Ordinal and reverse ordinal numbers are related.

4.1.1 Quantity Endings

The definite ending applies to the last component.

Quantity Endings
Suffix Tag Description
indefinite
-a Def definite
-i + incomplete numeric expression

4.1.2 Quantity Clitics

These apply to nominals and determiners.

Quantity Clitics
Word Tag Description
i Sg singular
ho Du dual
ci Pc paucal
tla Pl plural

4.2 Quantity Expressions

Numbers are base 10.

4.2.1 Digits

Digits
Root Value Root Value
nuh 0 'ar 1
him 2 tok 3
cil 4 kap 5
pun 6 lis 7
cas 8 yut 9

4.2.2 Place Values

Place value suffixes are prefixed to digits one through nine. Ones digits take no place-value prefix Compounds are ordered from most significant to least significant.

Place Values
Prefix Value Suffix Value
ton- 10\+1 xuv- 10\-1
sar- 10\+2 jiy- 10\-2

Examples:
jiylis "0.07",
toki xuvkap "3.5",
sarpuni toncili him "642".

4.2.3 Powers of 1000

Each power may be followed by a factor compound of two through 999.

Powers of 1000
Root Value Root Value
tla'ra 10\+3 ci'ra- 10\-3
tlahmi 10\+6 cihmi- 10\-6

Examples:
tla'ra toncasi cil "84,000".

4.2.4 Scalar Quantities

Scalar Quantities
Quantity Adverb
cir "few / little" cidi Nar narrow tolerance
tlar "many / much" tladi Wid wide tolerance
mador "enough" mado Sat satisfactive
hasor "too many / too much" haso Exc excessive
var "how many? / how much?" vadi SQ scalar question
cimar "as few / little as possible" cimadi Min minimal tolerance
tlamar "as many / much as possible" tlamadi Max maximal tolerance

4.2.5 Ordinal Numbners

All ordinal numbers are based on whole numbers. Ordinals include reverse ordinals, which start with the last and run backward. A forward ordinal is formed using the prefix da- Ord and a reverse ordinal is formed using the prefix yu- Rev. Examples:
datok "3rd",
yu'ar "last".

4.3 Measurement

4.3.1 Mass Quantities

Most content words denote countable entities. For those that don't, the word is followed by a measurement construction, which appears as unit word in the genitive case + quantity. Examples:
tozgur sukopa him S-water Gen-cup "2" 2 cups of water.

4.4 Temporal Adverbials

A temporal unit word may denote a period, such as "month" or a phase of a period, such as "night". All these adverbials use temporal unit words, which may take temporal suffixes.

Temporal Suffixes
Present Past Future TRP
-mis UT -gin UT.Pst -pay UT.Fut Utterance Time or Near
-cos DT -bur DT.Pst -sov DT.Fut Definite Time or Far
-vas QT - - - - Question Time

4.4.1 Time-when Adverbials

A time-when adverbial is either one of marked displacement, one of unmarked displacement, or one of no displacement. Displacement occurs when the temporal reference point TRP is not contained within the period specified by the temporal unit word (which denotes either the period or a phase of the period). When unmarked, the displacement is by one period.

A time-when adverbial of no displacement consists of a temporal unit word with a suffix from the Present column. A time-when adverbial of unmarked displacement consists of a temporal unit word with a suffix from the Past or Future columns. This word is followed by an ordinal number expression in order to mark a displacement greater than one. Examples:
diyamis day-UT "today"
sohogin night-UT.Pst "last night"
xinosov datok daytime-DT.Fut Ord-"3" "3 days later"
tlovas Occ-QT "when?"

4.4.2 Duration and Number of Occurrences

An adverbial phrase consisting of a temporal unit word + a quantity is used for duration. For the number of occurrences, the unit noun tlo Occ is used. Examples:
tlo tok Occ "3" "3 times"
xino pun daytime "6" "for 6 days"

The temporal unit noun may take a past or future suffix in order to anchor the adverbial to a temporal reference point. Examples:
sohopay tok night-UT.Fut "3" "for the next 3 nights"

page started: 2025.Feb.23 Sun
current date: 2025.Feb.27 Thu
content and form originated by Jeffrey S. Jones (qiihoskeh)

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