classifiers.tex


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When referring to a number of items in Lahu you are required to use classifiers. These are not used in English but could be likened to saying `three \emph{pairs} of trousers'. The word `pairs' could be termed a classifier for this example.
\begin{lahu-vocab}{Common Classifiers}
\item[g'aˇ] for people
\item[maˬ] gerneral classifier
\item[tawn] for sections
\item[hkeh] for animals
\item[k'oˆ] for books
\item[nyi] for days
\item[cehˬ] for plants
\item[shiˍ] for round things e.g. fruit
\item[kaˬ] for places
\item[moˍ] for groups
\item[peˆ] for pieces of things e.g. land
\item[ceuˬ] for `types' of things
\end{lahu-vocab}
In Lahu (and Thai) there are many different classifiers that all have specific uses. For example, there is a classifier for fruit, a classifier for people, a classifier for `sections' of things and so on. There is also a general classifier for objects that either do not have a specific classifier already or for instances where the classifier is not known at the time.

Some examples of classifiers in phrases:
\begin{examples}
\item\label{ex:classifier}
	\glll {Li hpu} shehˆ k'oˆ
	(n) (number) (clf)
	bible three (clf)
	\glt `Three bibles'
	\glend
\item
	\gll li teˇ k'oˆ
	book one (clf)
	\glt `one book'
	\glend
\item
	\gll {chaw yaˇ} teˇ g'aˇ
	person one (clf)
	\glt `one person'
	\glend
\item\label{ex:section}
	\gll {Li hpu} {awˬ hk'aw lo} {awˬ tawn} teˇ tawn
	bible in section one (clf)
	\glt `one scripture'
	\glend
\end{examples}

In example~\ref{ex:section} above the classifier \emph{tawn} is used for sections of things. A scripture is considered a section or passage in the bible and so the appropriate classifier needs to be used. Also note in example~\ref{ex:classifier} the order in which classifiers need to be used.

While you may think the number of classifiers would be large in actual fact you will find yourself using just a small subset for most situations.

See also section~\ref{sec:distributive} on distributive adjectives for describing more general and indefinite amounts of nouns.