Wauja

Suffix

-naun

1. Forms the plural of certain nouns, generally nouns referring to categories of persons, whether by rank, kinship affiliation, ethnic identity, personal characteristics, or other criteria.

   Inyaunaun iyaha.

   All the people went.

   Otukakanaun iya saunpaulu wi.

   Her brothers went to São Paulo.

Usage notes

• The -naun plural tends to denote a sizable group — typically many, most, or all members of that category in the local community, and not merely two. In general, the size of the group denoted by the -naun plural is roughly relative to the size of membership in that category as a whole.

For instance, if a person is directly addressing several junior persons, especially children, the -naun plural is often heard. In such situations, the group in question can be thought of as "everyone within earshot who is a member of this category" (my grandchildren, children, etc.). Likewise, the -naun plural can apply to as few as two individuals, if a particular category is limited to only a handful of members. For example, the -naun plural is commonly used to refer to as few as two or three siblings of a particular person, but would not be used to refer to three members of the larger category of all Wauja people.

• When the vowel immediately preceding -naun is "i," the suffix softens and becomes -nyaun.

References

• E. Ireland field notes. Need to be checked by native speaker.