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Accepted Paper:
A morphological analysis of singulatives in Cushitic languages
Rahel T. Dires
(University of Helsinki)
This paper focuses on singulative markers used in the expression of number in Cushitic languages (Afro-Asiatic) spoken in Ethiopia.
Nominal number morphology in Cushitic is complex; when number is expressed, derivational forms often convey it. The talk will concentrate on how the languages in the sample denote "one" or "a unit" using a morphologically derived number form, namely the singulative, shown in Iraqw (1) and Sidaama (2). A pattern seems to arise in the distribution of singulative markers, feminine gender and diminutives (e.g. Afro-Asiatic -t-): a typological analysis may lead to generalisations about such markers in Cushitic languages.
(1) mass ilwà 'milk' singulative ilwá-tóˀò 'a drop of milk'
(2) general sina 'branch' singulative sin-čo 'one branch' plural sin-na 'branches'
Singulatives have not been thoroughly investigated yet, since they have been considered an exception in theoretical discussions, despite being a typologically widespread feature. Comprehensive studies on specific language families will enhance our understanding of this grammatical category. Thereby, this paper's findings will contribute to the description of the linguistic expression of grammatical number in Cushitic.