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-naun. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
-naun, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
-naun in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
-naun you have here. The definition of the word
-naun will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
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Wauja
Pronunciation
Suffix
-naun
- 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.