Difference between revisions of "Quantifiers"
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==Existential quantifier== |
==Existential quantifier== |
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− | Expressions equivalent to 'there is/are' in English can be obtained in several ways in Sereer. |
+ | Expressions equivalent to 'there is/are' in English can be obtained in several ways in Sereer. One strategy is with the verb 'have' <i>jeg</i>: |
<gl id="ex2" fontsize=12> |
<gl id="ex2" fontsize=12> |
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</gl> |
</gl> |
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− | + | Another is with the existential copula <i>ref</i>: |
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<gl id="ex3" fontsize=12> |
<gl id="ex3" fontsize=12> |
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+ | \gll xa- ƥox axe ƥalig na xa- tadak andef -u |
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+ | pl-Cl dogs Det black Rel pl-Cl five there-are Adj |
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+ | \trans There are three dogs that are black. |
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+ | </gl> |
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+ | |||
+ | 'Much', 'many' and 'a lot' are expressed with the verb <i>may</i> 'to be a lot'. |
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+ | |||
+ | <gl id="ex4" fontsize=12> |
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\gll xa- bul xa- may -u |
\gll xa- bul xa- may -u |
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pl-Cl marbles pl-Cl much Adj |
pl-Cl marbles pl-Cl much Adj |
Revision as of 01:40, 14 December 2012
In Sereer quantification is obtained via several different syntactic strategies.
Partitive
'Some' is obtained with the noun-class-less plural determiner week:
<gl id="ex1" fontsize=12> \gll week a- ndang -a week a- ɓaalig pl-Det 3pl white 3pl some 3pl black \trans Some are white and some are black. </gl>
The 'most' quantifier is expressed as in a construction similar to the one found in the superlative.
Existential quantifier
Expressions equivalent to 'there is/are' in English can be obtained in several ways in Sereer. One strategy is with the verb 'have' jeg:
<gl id="ex2" fontsize=12> \gll a- jeg -a xa- ƥox xa- ƥaal fo xa- tan 3pl have 3pl pl-Cl dogs Agr black and pl-Cl white \trans There are (lit. have) black dogs and white (dogs). </gl>
Another is with the existential copula ref:
<gl id="ex3" fontsize=12> \gll xa- ƥox axe ƥalig na xa- tadak andef -u pl-Cl dogs Det black Rel pl-Cl five there-are Adj \trans There are three dogs that are black. </gl>
'Much', 'many' and 'a lot' are expressed with the verb may 'to be a lot'.
<gl id="ex4" fontsize=12> \gll xa- bul xa- may -u pl-Cl marbles pl-Cl much Adj \trans There are a lot of marbles. </gl>