Animate Nouns

Animate nouns refer to people, spirits, deities, and certain celestial phenomena. Animate nouns come in singular and plural (more than one). The animate plural suffix is -na, though some plurals are irregular.

adi

mother’s mother, grandmother. Plural: adena.

besadi

mother’s mother’s brother, great uncle. Plural: besadena. Derived from bese ‘uncle’.

bese

mother’s brother, uncle. Plural: besena.

cumu

a man, a marriageable man. Plural: cumona.

edi

spirit. Plural: edena.

ele

person, adult person. Plural: enna.

gene

elder, older person. PL: genna.

isi

child, a generic noun for pre-adult people. Plural: isena or inna.

kodo

boy, young man, son. Plural: kodona.

laki

female child, daughter. Plural: lakena.

lodan

a single star. Plural: lunna.

lono

the sun.

lugu

companion, neighbor, peer. Plural: lugona.

lunna

stars. Singular: lodan.

mada

an unmarried woman, a young woman, a marriageable woman. Plural: madana.

modo

a moon. Plural: modona.

ŋe

an animate being, used as a generic noun for all animates.

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