41.3. Plural reduplication
Models
| C1EC2 (C2 is L or L¸) | ||||
| 1) | SÁLES | ‘hand’ | SELSÁLES | ‘hands’ |
| 2) | X̱IL¸EM¸ | ‘rope’ | X̱EL¸X̱IL¸EM¸ | ‘lots of rope’ |
| 3) | HILEȻ | ‘glad’ | HELHILEȻ | ‘they are glad’ |
| 4) | S¸ÁLEW̱ | ‘elder’ | S¸EL¸ÁLEW̱ | ‘a group of elders’ |
| C1EL (C2 is not L or L¸) | ||||
| 5) | ŚEḴ | ‘complete’ | ŚELŚEḴ | ‘all complete’ |
| 6) | ŚTEṈ | ‘walk’ | ŚELŚTEṈ | ‘they walk’ |
| 7) | PEK | ‘white’ | PELPEK | ‘they’re white’ |
| 8) | SȻINTEL | ‘a fight’ | SȻELȻINTEL | ‘fights’ |
| C1EC2 (C2 is sonorant) | ||||
| 9) | SȽÁNI¸ | ‘woman’ | SȽENȽÁNI¸ | ‘a group of women’ |
| 10) | LEMÁ¸T | ‘kick it’ | LEMLEMÁ¸T | ‘kick them’ |
| 11) | XIṈELE¸ | ‘hawk’ | XEṈXIṈELE¸ | ‘hawks’ |
| 12) | SXENE¸ | ‘foot’ | SXENXENE¸ | ‘a group of feet’ |
| C1E…I | ||||
| 13) | SXENE¸ | ‘foot’ | SXEXINE¸ | ‘feet’ |
| 14) | SNEW̱EȽ | ‘canoe’ | SNENIW̱EȽ | ‘canoes’ |
| 15) | TEṈEW̱ | ‘land’ | TETIṈEW̱ | ‘lands’ |
| 16) | SKEM¸EL¸ | ‘paddle’ | SKEKIM¸EL¸ | ‘a group of paddles’ |
‣ 1 In addition to using prefixes, suffixes, or infixes to build words, SENĆOŦEN uses what is called reduplication. When a word is built with reduplication, all or part of the word is copied and attached like a prefix or a suffix.
‣ 2 The easiest way to talk about reduplication patterns in SENĆOŦEN is to use a formula that refers to the first and second consonants of the root. The first consonant is represented as C1 and the second consonant is C2. For example, in model 1, SÁLES, C1 is S and C2 is L.
‣ 3 The models are in four groups. Each group shows examples of the four SENĆOŦEN reduplication patterns,
‣ 4 When you look at the nonplurals in the first set, models, 1, 2, 3, and 4, you will see that C2 is always L or L¸. The formula for the plural reduplication here is C1EC2. This means copy the first and second consonants of the root and put E between them. Look at the plurals in the first group and see how this works for each of the models.
‣ 5 This first pattern is a very regular one in SENĆOŦEN. Every word that has L or L¸ as the second consonant of the root forms its plural with this pattern. We can form the L-second Plural Rule:
If the second consonant of the root is L or L¸, form the plural with C1EC2 reduplication.
‣ 6 Note incidentally that model 2, X̱IL¸EM¸ demonstrates that L¸ is a single consonant functioning just like L. Also note that model 4, S¸ÁLEW̱, demonstrates that ¸ the glottal stop is a full-fledged consonant reduplicating as C1, just like any other consonant. (The S in that word is a prefix, not part of the root.)
‣ 7 The models 5, 6, 7, and 8 in the second group form a somewhat different pattern. To form these plurals, copy the first consonant of the root and put EL after it. Look at those models now and see how this pattern works.
‣ 8 The second pattern is somewhat less predictable than the first. All zero stems—stems with no vowel of their own (review §32.2, §34, §35.1, and §40.4)—have this form of the plural. However, there are a very few words like model 8, that do not have zero stems, yet do, unpredictably, have this form in the plural.
‣ 9 The third pattern, shown in models 9, 10, 11, and 12, is the least well defined of all of these patterns. In a way, it looks like the first pattern—copy the first and second consonant of the root and put E between them. But in this set, the C2 is not L or L¸. It is always another sonorant consonant. The sonorant consonants are show in the last two rows of the chart on page 2—M, N, Y, W, Ṉ, M¸, N¸, Y¸, U¸, Ṉ¸.
‣ 10 There are many SENĆOŦEN words that have a sonorant as C2 that do not take this reduplication pattern in the plural, but there are many that do take this pattern. There is no general rule; these just have to be learned.
‣ 11 The fourth and final plural reduplication pattern applies strictly to words with a stressed E. Look at the nonplural forms in models 13, 14, 15, and 16, and notice that the stressed vowel, which is underlined here, is always E.
‣ 12 For the fourth pattern, copy C1 and put E after it. Then also change the stressed E to I. Look at the last four models now and confirm that you understand this pattern.
‣ 13 This last pattern is very regular and applies to all words that have a stressed E and do not fit into one of the other patterns.
‣ 14 There is some variation among L1 speakers. For example, look at models 12 and 13. Some speakers say SXENXENE¸ and some use SXEXINE¸. Some insist that only the first is correct, and some insist that only the second is correct. Some feel that either is correct. Be aware that there is variation among speakers.
 | ĆEĆÁTES ŦE EN¸ SILE¸ TŦE ṈEN¸ SṮEṮIWEN. | ‘My grandmother makes lots of earrings.’ |
 | X̱ENEȻÁN¸ SEN TÁ Ȼ SĆÁĆETS TŦE SĆESĆESO¸Ḱ | ‘I thought that she made hats.’ |
| ĆEĆÁTES TŦE SṮEṮIWEN I¸ TŦE SĆESĆESO¸Ḱ | ‘She makes earrings and hats’ |
| ÁN¸ U¸ ĆU¸ÁT ŦE EN¸ SILE¸. | ‘Your grandmother is very skillful.’ |
| 41.3A. Each of the following SENĆOŦEN words takes indicated plural. Make each plural and give its meaning. 1. SḰE₭ ‘sore’ C1EL 2. SḴÁLEX ‘clam fork’ C1EC2 3. EN¸Á ‘come’ C1EC2 4. ĆENES ‘tooth’ C1E…I | 41.3B. Each of these is a plural with reduplication. Give the nonplural for each. 1. EL¸ÁLES ‘siblings’ 2. ŦELŦȽO ‘they go down to the beach’ 3. ȽEMȽEMEW̱ ‘rain a lot’ 4. SWEWILTEN ‘nets’ |