BOAS] HANDBOOK OF INDIAN LANGUAGES — COOS 375 



This distinction is not consistently carried out. Cases where the 

 singular form is applied to denote plural concepts are quite numerous. 

 This phenomenon is very natural, since in place of the idea of plurality 

 we find rather the idea of distribution developed in Coos. 



§ 79. Plural of Terms of Relationship, "lyas 



The only substantives that form a plural by means of a specific 

 plural suffix are the terms of relationship. The suffix employed for 

 this purpose {-lyas) may be added directly to the stem, or may be 

 preceded by the suffix of relationship, -dtc {-ate) (see pp. 365, 366). 



rriEanl'yas parents 86.12 

 hwiya'^Lto younger sister 50.14 kim,Lt(yl'yas younger sisters 82.14 

 hd'LdtG older brother 72.27 hdLt<yl'yas^hdL%'yaso\diQvhYot\iQVQ 



130.23 

 e'h^Ldtc father 20.13 ek^Ltcfi' yas^ ek^Ll'yas fathers 



e^'ndtc mother 68.16 e^ntdl'yas mothers 



This suffix may be present in the stem hUd'yas village, derived 

 from hltd EARTH, GROUND, COUNTRY. The initiaU of the suffix would 

 amalgamate with the final a of the stem into a (see § 9), and the noun 

 would express a collective plural. 



§ 80. MINOR SUFFIXES 



Besides the suffixes discussed in the preceding pages, Coos has a few 

 suffixes of obscure function, that occur sporadically only, and that are 

 confined to certain given stems. These suffixes are as follows: 



-i occurs in one or two instances, and is rendered by and all. 



mi'laq arrow 12. 10 ; n im'laqa heim'yat Ie md u Jcwd'xaL nmi'laqai 

 with arrow he is 20.18 she took out a person's bow and 



arrow and all 62.23 

 Id'mak' bones 40.12 nte^t ta nld'mak'i with flesh and 



bones and all 



-ca is suffixed to the noun Ku^'mik' old woman. It was explained to 

 me as having an endearing character, but instances are not 

 lacking where the suffix is used in a derogatory sense. 



wdndj Lid'xEm Ie hu^mi'h'ca thus talking is the (dear) old woman 



82.19, 20 

 Lxant tchodle'tc Ie hu^mi'h'ca (she) threw it into the fire, the (bad) 



old woman (the Giant- Woman) 



§§ 79-80 



