Language/Fon/Grammar/Plurals
Hi Fon learners!😊
Learning Fon Grammar can be a challenging task, but with the right approach and dedication, you can master it in no time! In this lesson, we will focus on plurals in Fon.
Plural Formation
In Fon, there are two ways to form plurals: by adding a suffix or by reduplication.
Suffix
The most common way to form plurals is by adding a suffix. The suffix used depends on the noun's gender. For masculine nouns, the suffix is -ɖo, while for feminine nouns, the suffix is -ɔ.
For example, the plural of the masculine noun ɖe (man) is ɖeɖo (men), and the plural of the feminine noun ɔ (woman) is ɔɔ (women).
Reduplication
The other way to form plurals is by reduplication. This means repeating the noun twice. For example, the plural of the noun ɖe (man) is ɖeɖe (men).
Reduplication is used mainly for nouns that end in a vowel, such as ɔ (woman). The plural of ɔ (woman) is ɔɔ (women).
Plural Agreement
When using a plural noun, the verb must also be in the plural form. For example, if the subject is ɖeɖo (men), the verb must also be in the plural form.
For example, the sentence "The men are eating" would be "ɖeɖo ɖo ɖɔ".
Plural Possessives
When forming possessives with plural nouns, the possessive marker is added after the plural suffix. For example, the possessive of ɖeɖo (men) is ɖeɖo-wɔ (their).
For example, the sentence "The men's house" would be "ɖeɖo-wɔ ɖɔ".
Conclusion
In this lesson, we have learned about plurals in Fon. We have seen that there are two ways to form plurals: by adding a suffix or by reduplication. We have also seen that when using a plural noun, the verb must also be in the plural form. Finally, we have seen that when forming possessives with plural nouns, the possessive marker is added after the plural suffix.
If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
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