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Plurality
Optional -sh after the reference suffix marks an associative group: the named person or thing plus associates.
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Beginner
Core sense
Without -sh, the word picks one referent. With -sh, you name an anchor plus nearby associates (family, coworkers, unit, household, and so on). Who counts as an associate comes from the conversation and the situation.
-sh = set with the anchor. On a name it reads as Azawan and associates.
`zazawansh vawalal.`
gloss: `z-grace@-sh` · `v-walk`
*Azawan and associates walk.*`zazawarsh vajul.`
gloss: `z-←grace-sh` · `v-sit`
*They (that one and associates) sit.*| Ending | Reading |
|---|---|
…l / …m / …n / …r | singular (one referent / one introduction) |
…lsh / …msh / …nsh / …rsh | associative group |
Word shape
[role letter] + root (+ x + root ...) + ending + (optional -sh)-sh sits after the reference suffix only. The allowed finals are -lsh, -msh, -nsh, and -rsh (phonology.md).
By ending
-sh keeps the ending’s discourse job and only adds group reference.
| Form | Discourse job |
|---|---|
| -lsh | Indefinite associative group, literal (some cats as a set) |
| -msh | Indefinite associative group, metaphorical |
| -nsh | Named / titled group (the Beatles, Team Alpha, the Alps) |
| -rsh | Definite associative resume: prior referent and associates, or resume of a prior group |
Bare -l / -m still always introduce; -lsh / -msh introduce a group indefinite. Resume of a group is -rsh.
English plural cats can mean cats in general. Agalan -lsh is a set in this situation. Inclusive we is aha, not speaker -sh (clusivity).
Nouns (/z/, /d/, /b/)
On a noun, -sh makes the argument an associative set: some cats, Azawan and associates.
- -lsh / -msh — first mention of a discourse group of that kind.
- -nsh — a named plural / titled group.
- -rsh — prior noun and associates.
Every cat and a count with no set use other constructions (joins and number words), not -lsh.
Person-role -sh
Special pronouns take -sh, with a reading that depends on the role:
| Form | -sh reading | Mnemonic |
|---|---|---|
ugobo…sh (zugobonsh, …) | speaker and associates (listener not assumed) | speaker’s set |
edone…sh (zedonensh, …) | address set: all current addressees | everyone you are talking to |
aha (zahan, …) | already the interlocutor set | handshake we; leave -sh off for ordinary inclusive we |
| name / content -r…-sh | that person and associates | same as noun -sh |
You (singular) and your associates is name…-sh** (zululonsh), not edone…sh. Inclusive we is aha, not ugobo…sh.
Translation practice
Short drills on this Beginner band. Try each item before opening Show answer.
Roots used here: azawa grace (name Azawan) · ululo courage (name Ululon) · agada cat · odogo dog · uzumu smile → happy (-m) · ele size / big (-m) · awala walk · aju sit · urunu run · elebe sleep · eje see · aha inclusive we · ugobo speaker · edone listener
English → Agalan
1. Azawan and associates walk.
Show answer
zazawansh vawalal.
2. Some cats sit.
Show answer
zagadalsh vajul.
3. They (that one and associates) run.
Show answer
zazawarsh vurunul.
4. We (you and I) walk.
Show answer
zahan vawalal.
5. Speaker and associates (not you) sit.
Show answer
zugobonsh vajul.
6. You all (the addressees) walk.
Show answer
zedonensh vawalal.
7. You (Ululon) and your associates sit.
Show answer
zululonsh vajul.
8. Azawan sees some dogs.
Show answer
zazawan dodogolsh vejel.
Agalan → English
1. zazawansh vawalal.
Show answer
Azawan and associates walk.
2. zagadalsh vajul.
Show answer
Some cats sit. / A group of cats sit.
3. zazawarsh vajul.
Show answer
They (that one and associates) sit.
4. zahan velebel.
Show answer
We (including you) sleep.
5. zedonensh vajul.
Show answer
You all (the addressees) sit.
6. zugobonsh vawalal.
Show answer
Speaker and associates (not you) walk.
7. zodogolsh gelem.
Show answer
Some dogs are big.
8. jol zululonsh guzumum.
Show answer
Are Ululon and associates happy?
Intermediate
Associate-set resolution
When membership matters and is not listed:
- Explicit join / except wins (
ul dedonen= associates minus the listener). - Else recently named cohort (family introduced, team title, …).
- Else institutional frame of the scene (this meeting, this household).
- Else leave membership open: the listener may or may not be in the set.
If the wrong reading would matter, mark it: co-agency with aha or a join; “not you” with speaker/name -sh or a join that omits the listener.
Address-set resolution: prefer everyone in this turn’s vocative cluster, plus anyone still held as addressee by context.
Verbs (/v/) — collective
On /v/, -sh marks collective: the event is one shared act. A plural subject alone leaves that open. Noun -sh grows who the subject is; verb -sh marks how the doing is structured. The same “one pile” idea appears as collective on /ɡ/.
| Shape | Reading |
|---|---|
subject set + singular /v/ | together, separately, or don’t care (they walk) |
subject set + /v/…-sh | collective (they walk as one outing) |
named person + /v/…-sh | that person’s doing is joint: unnamed others share the act, off the subject |
group-kind singular (the team) + /v/…-sh | the group acts as one unit |
| Example | Gloss |
|---|---|
zazawansh vuzunul | Azawan and associates sing (together or each, or don’t care) |
zazawansh vuzunulsh | they sing as one outing |
zazawan vuzunulsh | Azawan sings jointly (not a solo) |
zahadal vawalalsh | the team walks as one unit |
Count (three times) and habit (always) stay clause framing: numbers under /h/, or hual. -rsh on /v/ resumes a prior collective verb (still as one shared act).
Adjectives (/ɡ/) — collective
On /ɡ/, -sh marks collective: the property holds of the host set as one unit.
Adjective -sh = the set shares the property as one pile. It does not mean “more red.”
| Shape | Reading |
|---|---|
host set + singular /ɡ/ | each member, or don’t care (the boxes are heavy) |
host set + /ɡ/…-sh | collective (heavy as a pile; vast as a team) |
Most useful with a phrase join: SHARED singular scale under a is already distributive (each member); SHARED /ɡ/…-sh is collective.
| Example | Gloss |
|---|---|
zulebol zolozol zal garagam | the file-box and the toolbox are (each) heavy |
zulebol zolozol zal garagamsh | heavy together (collective SHARED) |
zahadal gumum | the team is vast (group-level size) |
zulebolsh garagam | the file-boxes are heavy (members / plain) |
zulebolsh garagamsh | the file-boxes are heavy collectively |
-rsh on /ɡ/ resumes a prior collective adjective (still collectively so).
Related form: entity plurality uses -sh on the noun.
A scale or continuum adjective in comparatives and ranges stays singular (one line). Keep SHARED scale and continuum adjectives singular.
Color and trait stay singular on /ɡ/ while the noun takes -sh (red books: plural noun, singular red). Character trait uses singular /ɡ/ + hual. Both are challenging uses distributive SHARED … zal gomonam.
Vocatives (/j/)
Address a group: -lsh for kind-based group address (hey, kids); -nsh for a titled group (Team Alpha); -rsh to call a prior addressee and associates. Multi-addressee role without naming is jedonensh. Everyone uses bare …ual.
Where -sh sits
-sh marks group reference on nouns (/z/ /d/ /b/), vocatives, person-role specials (readings above), collective on /v/, and collective on /ɡ/ (SHARED scale / continuum adjectives stay singular). Habit is hual. Count is a number word (zagadalsh g+3). Plural material inside a non-opaque span marks -sh on those inner words.
Quantity >1 is digitless g+ (it may co-occur with noun -lsh). Generics / every K use coordination (zual gagadal, habitual hual). Inclusive we / address set: pronouns.
Translation practice
Short drills on this Intermediate band. Try each item before opening Show answer.
Roots used here: azawa grace (name Azawan) · ululo courage (name Ululon) · ulebo file-box · olozo toolbox · araga heaviness (-m) · ahada teamwork · umu vastness (-m) · agada cat · uzunu sing · awala walk · urunu run · aha inclusive we · ugobo speaker · edone listener
English → Agalan
1. The file-boxes are heavy. (members, or don’t care)
Show answer
zulebolsh garagam.
2. The file-boxes are heavy as a pile.
Show answer
zulebolsh garagamsh.
3. We (including you) run.
Show answer
zahan vurunul.
4. Speaker and associates run (listener not assumed).
Show answer
zugobonsh vurunul.
5. Azawan sings jointly (not a solo).
Show answer
zazawan vuzunulsh.
6. Azawan and associates sing as one outing.
Show answer
zazawansh vuzunulsh.
7. Hey, cats!
Show answer
jagadalsh.
8. Hey, you all (the addressees)!
Show answer
jedonensh.
Agalan → English
1. zulebolsh garagamsh.
Show answer
The file-boxes are heavy collectively. / heavy as a pile
2. zulebolsh garagam.
Show answer
The file-boxes are heavy. (members / plain)
3. zahadal gumum.
Show answer
The team is vast.
4. zazawan vuzunulsh.
Show answer
Azawan sings jointly. / Azawan sings (not a solo).
5. zazawansh vuzunulsh.
Show answer
Azawan and associates sing as one outing.
6. jagadalsh.
Show answer
Hey, cats!
7. jedonensh.
Show answer
Hey, you all (the addressees)!
8. jazawansh.
Show answer
Hey, Azawan and associates!
See also
- Resume and
aha/ address set: pronouns.md - Endings before -sh: reference-suffix.md