Re: OT: Re: VMs: NEW SCIENTIST 11/2001 ZANDONELLA

[Jacques Guy <jguy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

12/04/2005 2:35:25 AM, Rene Zandbergen <r_zandbergen@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>--- Jacques Guy <jguy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>> mahasiswa mahasiswa, mahasiswi mahasiswi...

>> In French: "Étudiants, étudiantes..."

>Indonesian, wasn't it? 

Yes. The word is derived from Sanskrit, hence a masculine
(ending in -a) and a feminine form (in -i).

Reduplication, however, is a feature of Austronesian
languages (also known as Malayo-Polynesian). Some words
occur only reduplicated, e.g. sayur-sayuran "vegetables".


>> Yes, just like De Gaulle used to say: "Français,
>> françaises..."

>So there goes that theory (?) or perhaps it is
>more subtle, more complicated, e.g. the order
>changes when national feelings are evoked.


I don't know. I just speak the language :-(


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