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d. other
=@H( =@H( =@H( =@H( ~ @H( @H( @H( @H( ‘many’
=>=(=@K(MK =>=(=@K(MK =>=(=@K(MK =>=(=@K(MK ‘June’
=C=(@=( =C=(@=( =C=(@=( =C=(@=( ‘August’
In at least one case, the word containing this initial = can be analyzed. The word
=C=H=M =C=H=M =C=H=M =C=H=M ‘match’ is made up of an initial =, C=H= C=H= ‘scratch’, and M M M M ‘fire’.
Kamanda (pp. 328ff) suggests that this initial = is a remnant of an earlier plural
prefix. He offers comparative data from several other Ubangian languages to support this
claim. In Mbandja (Tingbo 1978: 68-69), the category of “animate” is broader than in
Mono, including plant names and heavenly bodies. Thus, the following plural forms are
attested:
(10) Sample Mbandja plurals
singular plural Mono form (inanimate)
K(CK K(CK K(CK K(CK ‘mushroom’ =K(CK =K(CK =K(CK =K(CK ‘mushrooms’ =K(CK =K(CK =K(CK =K(CK ‘mushroom(s)’
> > > > F FF F ‘star’ => => => => F FF F ‘stars’ =CA(HA(FA =CA(HA(FA =CA(HA(FA =CA(HA(FA ‘star(s)’
In Ngbugbu, the plural prefix applies to both animate and inanimate nouns (11).
Note that the plural forms for the animate nouns (11a-b) are analogous to the forms for
Mono (in either the singular or plural).
(11) Sample Ngbugbu plurals
singular plural Mono form
C C = = = = ‘animal’ =C =C =C = = = = ‘animals’ =C= =C= =C= =C= ‘animal(s)’
J5 J5 J5 J5 ‘louse’ =J5 =J5 =J5 =J5 ‘lice’ =J5( =J5( =J5( =J5( ‘louse/lice’
C C C C ‘village’ =C =C =C =C ‘villages’ C C C C ‘village(s)’
In Ngbandi (Toronzoni 1989: 209-210, cited by Kamanda), the plural prefix =( =( =( =(
can occur on almost any noun, with the exception of terms regarding liquids and some
vague concepts:
(12) Sample Ngbandi plurals
singular plural Mono form
K= K= K= K= ‘work’ =(K= =(K= =(K= =(K= ‘works’ =M= =M= =M= =M= ‘work(s)’
>= >= >= >= ‘father’ =(>= =(>= =(>= =(>= ‘fathers’ =>=( =>=( =>=( ‘father’
97