Nominal Plurality in Alago

Abstract

There is a widespread distribution of nominal plurality in the world’s languages. However, languages differ in their formal encoding of nominal plurality. Adopting a descriptive approach, this study investigates nominal plurality in Alago, an endangered Idomoid language spoken in Nasarawa state, Nigeria. It identifies and describes the plural formation strategies attested in Alago. It also discusses the morpho-phonological operations characterizing the identified strategies. Using a structured questionnaire, primary language data are elicited from three native speakers of Alago. In addition, secondary language data on Alago are drawn from Adagye & Abdullahi’s 2011 dictionary of Alago. Findings from the analysis of data show that Alago adopts four strategies in the formation of plural nouns. These strategies include: vowel alternation for mostly human nouns/kinship terms, the plural morpheme awo for inanimate and animate nouns (animal nouns), zero marking for mostly non count nouns and post nominal quantifiers such as lewa and nwashika.