[YG Conlang Archives] > [romconlang group] > messages [Date Index] [Thread Index] >
On Tue, May 10, 2011 at 4:48 PM, Padraic Brown <elemtilas@hidden.email> wrote: > > > --- On Tue, 5/10/11, Adam Walker <carraxan@hidden.email> wrote: > > > Well, I suppose I could...if I find a reason for it. Actually, I was > > thinking that *cuscusu *really should be *cuscu* which would be a back > > formation after *cuscus* is analyzed as a plural after all, there shore > > is a heapin lot of them thar cuscus in a bowl of the stuff, and who ever > > heard of eatin jess one cuscu? > > You know, I never thought of couscous as a count noun -- for me it's like > rice or corn. You can eat one bowl of couscous, but not one couscous. > > Interesting that it would be seen as a plural form! > > > Adam > > Padraic > > > I'm sure it's the article that's to blame -- *ul cuscus* just doesn't work; it has to be *uls cuscus*, which then invites the backfromation of *ul cuscu * meaning is single grain of cuscus. And thus weirds the language. Adam [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]