Language/Fon/Grammar/Plurals

Fon Grammar - Plurals

Hi Fon learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about plurals in Fon. Understanding how to form plurals is an essential part of learning the Fon language. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to form plurals correctly in Fon.

Introduction

In the Fon language, a noun can be singular or plural. The singular form describes one object, and the plural form describes more than one object. For example, one Fon word for "table" is "dé". If you want to talk about two tables, you need to use the plural form, which is "de-dé".

In this lesson, we will learn how to form plurals and some interesting facts about plural nouns in Fon.

Forming Plurals in Fon

To form plurals in Fon, we add a suffix to the end of the noun. The suffixes used for plurals are "-n" and "-yi".

The suffix "-n" is added to a noun ending in a consonant. For example:

Fon	Pronunciation	English
blò	[blɔ́]	tree	blò-n	[blɔ́ʔɔ́n]	trees
mami	[màmì]	mother	mami-n	[màmìʔìn]	mothers

The suffix "-yi" is added to a noun ending in a vowel. For example:

Fon	Pronunciation	English
yé	[jé]	house	yé-yi	[jéjí]	houses
sùù	[sùù]	market	sùù-yi	[sùùjí]	markets

Some nouns have irregular plural forms. Here are a few examples:

Fon	Pronunciation	English
ayi	[àjì]	egg	ahwé-yi	[àxwéjí]	eggs
hulu	[húlú]	ball	hulu-zù	[húlúzù]	balls

Fon also has a collective plural form. The collective plural is used when referring to a group of objects as a single entity. For example:

Fon	Pronunciation	English
djó	[djó]	chicken	djó-sé	[djósé]	flock of chickens

Interesting Facts

In Fon, there are some plural markers that are added to the beginning of the noun instead of the end. These markers are used for some body parts and animals. Here are a few examples:

Fon	Pronunciation	English
éó	[éó]	eye	méó	[méó]	eyes
élyi	[élyí]	mouth	mèlyi	[mèlyí]	mouths
sùù	[sùù]	market	zsùù	[zsùù]	markets

Another interesting fact is that some foods have plural forms because they are usually sold in bunches or groups. For example:

Fon	Pronunciation	English
òkwá-jì	[òkwádì]	banana	òkwá-wé	[òkwáwé]	bunch of bananas
lóòsì	[lóòsì]	plantain	lóòsí-zù	[lóòsízù]	bunch of plantains

By learning about these cultural aspects of the Fon language, you can further your understanding and appreciation of the language and the people who speak it.

Dialogue

To see plurals in context, here's a dialogue between two friends:

• Person 1: Mi cù? (What's up?)
• Person 2: Mi dé-dé lo (I'm looking at the tables)
• Person 1: Ha. Duhún? (Really? Where?)
• Person 2: Lo médu (In the market)
• Person 1: Ah, kédó sùù-yi-sé nú. (Ah, there are many markets there.)
• Person 2: Yes. Kédó sùù-sé yóo novu (Yes. There's a new market).

Practice Exercise

To practice what we've learned, try forming the correct plural form for the following words:

1. zé - [solution: zé-yi] 2. koló - [solution: koló-n] 3. djó - [solution: djó-sé] 4. mèlyi - [solution: mélyi]

Sources

• Fon_language
• Fon_language Talk Page
• Benin

Don't stop here! Keep practicing your Fon Grammar and expand your vocabulary by talking to native speakers on Polyglot Club. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

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