Journal of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society JSEALS 19.1 (2026): i-xxvi Data/Notes Article ISSN: 1836-6821 DOI: https://doi.org/10.21313/10524/52552 University of Hawai‘i Press QUANTIFICATION IN BODO Sansuma BRAHMA Indian Institute of Technology Indore sansuma@iiti.ac.in Abstract This article explores the morphological composition of Bodo quantifiers. Based on their morphological features, Bodo quantifiers can be broadly categorized into core and morphologically derived complex quantifiers. Both quantifiers are further divided into Classifier:type-numeral, Classifier:type-how.much/many, Classifier:type-each/every, Classifier:cycle.of.action-numeral, Interrogative=Indefinite, and Non-classifier/Indefinite quantifier. In addition, the article discusses the morpheme or structure used for comparison. This article uses Partee’s (1995) and Keenan’s (2017) A-type and D-type classifications to look at these quantifiers’ morpho-syntactic structure and distribution. Keywords: Bodo, quantifiers, A-quantifiers, D-quantifiers ISO 639-3 codes: brx 1 Introduction Bodo, primarily spoken in the Bodoland Territorial Region of Assam, India, is one of the Bodo-Garo languages of the Tibeto-Burman family (Burling 2003:175). It is recognized as one of India’s 22 scheduled languages, with Bodo referring to both the language and the people. The language is widely used in different domains, including education, literature, mass media, and religion. Initially known as Kiratas (Chattarjee 1951), the Bodo people were later referred to as Bodos (Hodgson 1847) and Kacharis (Endle 1884), though they preferred to identify as Bodos, Bodofisa, or Bodosa (Gait 1926:299). Historically, they were associated with the Kachari rule in Assam, evident in the initial syllable of river names di or doi ‘water’ (Endle 1911:4). The census of India (2011) reported around 1.5 million Bodo speakers in India. Bodo speakers are widely distributed across Northeast India, including West Bengal and adjacent countries such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal. This article discusses Bodo quantifiers, including core and morphologically derived complex quantifiers, adopting Partee’s (1995) and Keenan’s (2017) A-type and D-type classification. Based on morphological compositions, both types of quantifiers can be broadly categorized into the following: • Classifier:type-numeral Quantifiers o Existential [D/A] o Universal [D/A] o Proportional [D/A] o Negative Polarity Item [D/A] • Classifier:type-how.much/many Quantifiers o Existential [D/A] • Classifier:type-each/every Quantifiers o Universal [D/A] • Classifier:cycle.of.action-numeral Quantifiers o Proportional [D/A] • Interrogative=Indefinite Quantifiers o Existential [D/A] o Universal [A] o Negative Polarity Item [A] • Non-classifier/Indefinite quantifier Quantifiers o Existential [D/A] o Universal [D/A] o Negative Polarity Item [D/A] D-expressions are primarily arguments of predicates, while the A-expressions are verbal affixes, pre-verbs, auxiliary verbs, or predicate modifiers (adverbs and PPs) (Keenan 2017:2). In addition, this article briefly describes the morphemes and structures used for comparison in Bodo. Previous works have partly mentioned Bodo quantifiers, but no comprehensive study has yet been conducted on this topic. Bhattacharya (1997:125-130) lists a few indefinite or definite quantitative pronouns and their complex derivations, as presented in Table 1. Table 1. Quantifier Pronouns and their Complex Derivations S.N. From Indefinite Quantitative Pronouns 1. i- ise ‘a little’; isebaŋ ‘a little more’ 2. e- ese ‘a little’; esebaŋ ‘a little more’; esaŋ ‘this much’; esaŋpʰa ‘so much’; esaŋmani ‘this much else’ 3. e- epʰa ‘a little’; eseɡrab ‘this much only’; eseded ‘this type of big’ 4. e- epʰa epʰa ‘little’ 5. e- esa ‘a little’ S.N. From Interrogative Indefinite Quantitative Pronouns 1. be- bese/besebaŋ ‘how much/many’ 2. ze- zese/zesebaŋ ‘relative pronoun’ S.N. From Common Quantitative Pronouns with Indefinite Relations 1. --- burza ‘much/many’ 2. --- ɡasojbɯ ‘all (men)’; ɡasibɯ ‘all (things)/everything’; bojbɯ ‘all (men)’ 3. --- malai ‘other’; ɡubun ‘other (thing/person)’ 4. --- kʰajse ‘some’ 5. --- raobɯ ‘anyone’ 6. --- naw ‘a little/a small quantity’; baŋaj ‘a little’ 7. --- dorzaj ‘many/much’; zabra ‘many/much’ S.N. From Quantitative Pronouns with Interrogative Correlations 1. -pʰse/-bse sapʰse/sabse ‘how many (person)’ 2. -pʰse/-bse mapʰse/mabse ‘how many (animal)’ 3. --- tʰajpʰse/tʰaibse ‘how many (fruit)’ S.N. From Indefinite Pronouns with Distributive Correlations 1. -pʰrombɯ sapʰrombɯ ‘each (person)’ 2. -pʰrombɯ mapʰrombɯ ‘each (animal)’ 3. --- ɡaɡaj/ɡawɡaj ‘each/every’ S.N. From Relative Pronouns with Personal Correlations/Indefinite Contexts 1. ze ‘that/what/which’ 2. ze- zebɯ ‘someone’ 3. ze- zese ‘as much as/as many as’ 4. ze- zese/zesebaŋ ‘that much/so much/many’ Boro (2021:8) lists some universal quantifiers and indefinite pronouns in which the additive enclitic =bɯ is an obligatory component. The universal quantifiers include boibɯ ‘everyone’, ɡasɯibɯ ‘everyone/everything’, zeroubɯ ‘everywhere’, and CLF-pʰrɯm=bɯ ‘each/every’, while the indefinite pronouns include raobɯ ‘no one’, zebɯ ‘nothing/anything’, and zeroubɯ ‘anywhere’. He claims that the root of these morphemes is bound morphemes, and they require the enclitic =bɯ to occur as a free word. Brahma & Kumar (2021:80-87) mentions three kinds of universal quantifiers (although they didn’t gloss them as universal quantifiers), namely, classifier-numerals, indefinite quantifiers, and temporal adverbs in select Bodo-Garo languages. In Bodo-Garo languages with scalar reading, all classifier-numerals are of the CLF-NUM=ADD form, in which the additive enclitic follows classifier-numerals; all indefinite quantifiers are of free or bound morpheme quantifiers + =bV, and all temporal adverbs are of when=INDEF=ADD form. All these expressions occur in negative sentences. Brahma (2022) extensively discusses different kinds of Negative Polarity Items and their licensing environments in Bodo-Garo languages. The data for this study primarily come from the CQPweb corpus “Gauhati University Linguistics Department Bodo Corpus” stored at Lancaster University. It is a web-based corpus query and analysis platform accessible via the Lancaster University CQPweb server (https://cqpweb.lancs.ac.uk/), which provides researchers with tools for searching, concordancing, and analyzing large textual corpora. The Corpus is not open access, requires login credentials or institutional access and the author of this article has a local copy of access. At Lancaster University, CQPweb is developed, maintained, and supported by the University Centre for Computer Corpus Research on Language (UCREL) in collaboration with the Department of Linguistics and English Language. The Gauhati University Linguistics Department Bodo Corpus contains 731 spoken and written texts. The total word tokens in all corpus texts are around 1.5 million without word-level annotation. The corpus texts are in Bodo (Devanagari) script, transcribed, annotated and translated into English by the author while keeping the source alike. Characters enclosed in square brackets function as corpus source identifiers and appear at the end of each example. The author is a native speaker of Bodo and speaks the standard variety spoken in the Chirang district. The author uses a few observed utterances and elicitation sentences when necessary. This paper is organized as follows: § 2 and § 3 discuss core and morphologically complex derived quantifiers in Bodo, which include existential, universal and proportional quantifiers. In addition, the sections present Bodo negative polarity items. § 4 describes the way Bodo compares these quantifiers. § 5 summarizes the article. 2 Core Quantifiers This section discusses the Core Quantifiers in Bodo. Based on morphological features, Bodo core quantifiers can be broadly categorized into Classifier:type-numeral, Classifier:type-how.much/many, Classifier:type-each/every, Classifier:cycle.of.action-numeral, Interrogative=Indefinite, and Non-classifier/Indefinite quantifiers which include existential, universal, and proportional quantifiers. Existential quantifiers modify the scope of an action described by a verb phrase; universal quantifiers quantify all members of a set denoted by the head of a noun phrase; proportional quantifiers quantify a subset of individuals in a noun phrase. 2.1 Classifier:type-numeral Quantifiers This subsection discusses the Classifier:type-numeral quantifiers that include existential [D/A], universal [D/A], proportional [D/A], and negative polarity item [D/A]. 2.1.1 Existential [D/A] Quantifiers Many existential D-quantifiers in Bodo are derived from sortal classifier-numeral expressions and are of the following form: CLF:type-NUM ‘x no of entity’. Table 2 presents some sortal classifier-numeral expressions with quantifier readings. Table 2. Some Sortal Classifier-numeral Quantifiers in Bodo S.N. Quantifier Morpheme Morpheme Gloss Gloss 1. dɯŋse dɯŋ-se CLF:string-one a string 2. mase ma-se CLF:animal-one an animal 3. mɯnse mɯn-se CLF:generic-one a thing 4. sase sa-se CLF:human-one a person 5. tʰaise tʰai-se CLF:fruit-one a fruit The examples in (1a-b) show the use of sortal classifier-numerals sa-se ‘CLF:human-one’, and ma-se ‘CLF:animal-one’ as quantifiers with overt NPs, while the examples in (1c-d) show the use of sortal classifier-numerals sa-se ‘CLF:human-one’ and ma-se ‘CLF:animal-one’ as quantifiers without NPs. In the former examples (1a-b), the classifiers are followed by the specific NPs (sikʰla ‘girl’ and mɯsɯo ‘cow’, respectively), but in the latter examples (1c-d), no specific NPs are present, which can possibly be any human being and any animal, respectively. (1a) sa-se sikʰla mai lam=bai tʰa-dɯŋ-mɯn CLF:human-one girl unhusked.rice.grain dry-PROG stay-REAL-PST ‘A girl was drying unhusked rice grains.’ [BdW13_S65] (1b) zarɯo=wa ma-se mɯsɯo.mɯi ɡidir-tʰar mɯn-a-sɯi PN=NOM CLF:animal-one deer big-really get-AFF-CS ‘Zarwo got a big dear.’ [BdW13_T01] (1c) bitʰaŋ=ni mɯnnɯɡɯnaŋ man=kʰɯo un=ni sa-se=ja 3.SG.UNFAM=GEN anticipated respect=ACC latter=GEN CLF:human-one=NOM se-na la-ɡɯn sieze-NF take-FUT ‘The latter person will seize the respect he is expected to earn.’ [BdW13_D08] (1d) nɯibe ma-se=ja ɡeder arɯ kʰɯmɯn=a=bɯ ese this.PROX CLF:animal-one=NOM big and hair=NOM=ADD little daŋ-ba=nɯ ɡu-jɯ touch-COND=COR shed-HAB ‘The animal is large, and its hair sheds when touched.’ [BdW13_T01] While a singular indefinite NP which is unmarked for case is formed with the numeral se “one” that co-occurs with an obligatory classifier, as in (1a-b), a singular definite case-marked NP is formed with the numeral se “one” that co-occurs with an obligatory classifier, as in (2). (2a) dinɯi sikʰar ցami=ni sa-se mansi=ja abari=kʰɯo nai-nɯ today PN village=GEN CLF:human-one person=NOM PN=ACC see-INF pʰɯi-ցɯn come-FUT ‘An individual (definite) hailing from Sikhar village will visit Abari.’ [BdW13_S59] (2b) tʰik be som=ao=nɯ ma-se sijal=a bɯrai=kʰɯo right this moment=LOC=COR CLF:animal-one fox=NOM old.man=ACC nu-hur-nai-sɯi=nɯ see-give-NOMZ-CS=COR ‘A fox (definite) saw the old man at the right moment.’ [BdW13_ZF08] (2c) sa-se=ja sa-se=kʰɯo nu-wa-bla tʰa-nɯ CLF:human-one=NOM CLF:human-one=ACC see-NEG-COND stay-INF ha-jɯi-badi za-dɯŋ-mɯn can-NEG-like be-REAL-PST ‘When they did not see each other, it seemed as though they could not live without one another.’ [BdW13_S61] Classifier-numeral D-expressions typically precede nouns in NPs, as in (1) and (2). Alternatively, they can follow nouns in NPs, taking grammatical inflections such as number, case marker, focus enclitic, and so on, as shown in (3). (3a) mansi sa-se=ja tʰaŋ-na tʰa-nai=jao bi=ni ɡasɯi person CLF:human-one=NOM live-NF stay-NOMZ=LOC 3.SG=GEN all bitʰiŋ=ao=nɯ sɯlɯŋtʰai=ni ɡɯnaŋ situation=LOC=COR education=GEN need ‘When a person lives (in this world), he or she needs education in every sphere of life.’ [BdW13_Q13] (3b) mɯider ma-se=ja pʰaɡla za-nanɯi sa-nɯi mansi elephant CLF:animal-one=NOM crazy be-NF CLF:human-two person butʰar-dɯŋ-mɯn kill-REAL-PST ‘An elephant, after becoming aggressive, killed two people.’ [BdW13_V06] Like existential D-quantifiers, many A-quantifiers are derived from temporal/adverbial classifier-numeral expressions and are of the following form: CLF:type-NUM ‘x no of time’. Table 3 presents some temporal/adverbial classifier-numeral expressions with quantifier readings. Table 3. Some Temporal Classifier-numeral Quantifiers in Bodo S.N. Quantifier Morpheme Morpheme Gloss Gloss 1. kʰonse/kʰebse kʰon-se/kʰeb-se CLF:time-one once 2. sanse san-se CLF:day-one a day 3. horse hor-se CLF:night-one a night 4. zɯnɯmse zɯnɯm-se CLF:birth-one one birth 5. muɡase muɡa-se CLF:era-one an era 6. danse dan-se CLF:month-one a month The examples in (4a-b) show the use of the temporal classifier-numerals kʰon-se ‘CLF:time-one’ and kʰeb-se ‘CLF:time-one’, while the example in (4c) shows the use of the temporal classifier-numeral bɯsɯr-ba ‘CLF:year-five’. (4a) bɯsɯr-ba=ni siɡaŋ suwalkʰusi=jao kʰon-se tʰaŋ-pʰer-nai CLF:year-five=GEN before PN=LOC CLF:time-one go-ever-NOMZ za-dɯŋ-mɯn happen-REAL-PST ‘Five years back, (I) went to Suwalkhusi once.’ [BdW13_D33] (4b) natʰai dan=ni un=ao kʰeb-se mitʰiŋ liŋ-bɯla but month=GEN behind=LOC CLF:time-one meeting call-COND zokhai-se=bɯ ɡɯi-ja CLF:four-one=ADD exist-NEG ‘But (a) month later, when (we) called for a meeting once, even a set of four (people) were not present.’ [BdW13_D16] (4c) ɡao=ha ɡuwahatʰi tʰawun=ao relwe=ni kʰerani haba self=POSS PN town=LOC railway=GEN clerk work mao-nai=ja bɯsɯr-ba za-bai do-NOMZ=NOM CLF:year-five be-PRF ‘You have worked as a railway clerk in Guwahati for five years.’ [BdW13_S03] 2.1.2 Universal [D/A] Quantifiers All classifier-numeral expressions can be used as aggregate quantifiers by adding the additive enclitic =bɯ, except the numeral one, following CLF:type-NUM=ADD order, as in (5). In most cases, numerals larger than five are used less. Examples in (5a) and (5b) show the use of aggregate D-quantifiers sa-nɯi=bɯ ‘CLF:human-two=ADD’ and sa-ba=bɯ ‘CLF:human-five=ADD’ respectively. (5a) bi=ni un=ao batʰɯo ɡudi=jao hɯowa ɡɯdan hinzao ɡɯdan this=GEN after=LOC bathwu main=LOC man new woman new sa-nɯi=bɯ hantʰu kʰorai-nanɯi aroz ɡab-ɯ CLF:human-two=ADD knee fold-NF pray cry-HAB ‘Following this, the bride and groom both kneel and offer prayers to the Bathwu.’ [BdW13_D26] (5b) pʰisa-zɯ asari bisari sonasri rupʰasri arɯ sɯmsri sa-ba=bɯ child-female PN PN PN PN and PN CLF:human-five=ADD delaisri~delaisri sikʰla der-bɯ-bai prettily~RED maiden grow-continue-PRF ‘All five daughters, Asari, Bisari, Sonasri, Ruphasri, and Swmsri, have grown up beautifully.’ [BdW13_S53] Similarly, for A-quantifiers, many temporal classifier-numeral expressions can be used as aggregate quantifiers by adding the additive enclitic =bɯ, except the numeral one, following CLF:type-NUM=ADD order, as in (6). (6a) dan-tʰam=a=bɯ ɯrɯi=nɯ tʰaŋ-bai zebɯ=kʰɯo=nɯ kʰalam-nɯ CLF:month-three=NOM=ADD like.this=COR go-PRF anything=ACC=COR do-INF ha-ja-sɯ can-NEG-CS ‘All three months passed like this, (I) couldn’t do anything.’ [Constructed] (6b) san-nɯi=bɯ ɡɯi-lia nɯŋ=ni anzad=a sopʰɯi-tʰar-ɡɯo CLF:day-two=ADD exist-NEG 2.SG=GEN exam=NOM reach-sure-FUT ‘Even two are not there; your exam is approaching.’ [Constructed] 2.1.3 Proportional [D/A] Quantifiers In Bodo, many proportional D-quantifiers are derived from the mensural classifiers with the CLF:type-NUM order, as shown in Table 4. Table 4. Some proportional classifier-numeral quantifiers in Bodo S.N. Quantifier Morpheme Morpheme Gloss Gloss 1. kʰaose kʰao-se CLF:half-one a half 2. kʰandise kʰandi-se CLF:quarter-one a quarter 3. kʰɯndɯse kʰɯndɯ-se CLF:portion-one a portion/part 4. dokʰlabse dokʰlab-se CLF:portion-one a portion/part 5. dokʰorse dokʰor-se CLF:portion-one a portion/part The quantifier kʰandi-se ‘CLF:quarter-one’ refers to a quarter (7a), the quantifier kʰao-se ‘CLF:half-one’ refers to half (7b), and the quantifier dokʰor-se ‘CLF:part-one’ refers to one portion (7c). (7a) binipʰrai ɡoi kʰandi-se za-nainɯ dodere-mɯn=ni=sim after.that areca.nut CLF:quarter-one eat-NF PN-PL=GEN=ALL aɡan sur-ɯ step keep-HAB ‘After consuming one-fourth of an areca nut, he proceeds towards Dodere’s house.’ [BdW13_V06] (7b) hinzaosa-pʰɯr=kʰɯo hɯowa-pʰɯr=ni kʰao-se ɡɯhɯ hɯn-na ɡubun girl-PL=ACC man-PL=GEN CLF:half-one energy say-NF other rao=wao buŋ-nai doŋ-o language=LOC say-NOMZ exist-AFF ‘In another language, it is expressed that the girls possess half the boys’ energy.’ [BdW13_F50] (7c) nizɯra=ni ser=ao abad mao-nɯ hatʰao~tʰao dokʰor-se spring=GEN near=LOC cultivation do-INF suitable~RED CLF:part-one ɡuwar zaiɡa=bɯ doŋ-o wide place=ADD exist-AFF ‘There is a stretch of fertile land near the spring suitable for cultivation.’ [BdW13_Y2] The above D-quantifiers such as kʰaose ‘CLF:half-one’ and kʰɯndɯ ‘CLF:part-one’ can be used as proportional A-quantifiers, as shown in (8). (8a) arɯ be baidi biɡur=ni mɯkʰaŋ=a mɯna=jao undu-nai=ni and this like skin=GEN face=NOM night=LOC sleep-NOMZ=GEN siɡaŋ kʰold kʰrim pʰun-nanɯi kʰao-se som tʰahab before cold cream apply-NF CLF:half-one time stay.for.a.while kʰaŋ-nai=ni un=ao ɡurɯi kʰun=zɯŋ mɯkʰaŋ=kʰɯo bring-NOMZ=GEN after=LOC soft cotton=INST face=ACC lasɯi=jɯi huɡar-nanɯi undu-jɯ-bla mɯzaŋ pʰitʰai mɯn-nɯ ha-jɯ slow=ADVZ rub-NF sleep-HAB-COND good result get-INF can-HAB ‘…and for this type of facial skin, applying cold cream before going to bed at night and gently massaging the skin with soft cotton for a short period may yield good results.’ [BdW13_K25] (8b) ɡao=ni haba=kʰɯo pʰɯ-zɯb-nɯ oron=a aŋ=nɯ naŋ-nai=ni self=GEN work=ACC cause-finish-INF PN=NOM 1.SG=DAT require-NOMZ=GEN kʰɯndɯ-se som=lo hɯ-dɯŋ CLF:part-one time=REST give-REAL ‘Oron gave me only a part of the required time to finish my task.’ [Constructed] 2.1.4 Negative Polarity Item [D/A] Quantifiers The most common way of forming a negative polarity item in Bodo is by combining the classifier and numeral (one) expressions with the additive enclitic =bɯ ‘ADD’, optionally followed by an NP (cf. Brahma & Kumar 2021; Brahma 2022), as shown in Table 5. Table 5. Negative Polarity Items in Bodo S.N. Quantifier Morpheme Morpheme Gloss Gloss 1. sasebɯ sa-se=bɯ CLF:human-one=ADD even a person 2. masebɯ ma-se=bɯ CLF:animal-one=ADD even an animal 3. pʰaŋsebɯ pʰaŋ-se=bɯ CLF:tree/plant-one=ADD even a tree The NPIs sa-se=bɯ ‘CLF:human-one=ADD’ in (9a) and ma-se=bɯ ‘CLF:animal-one=ADD’ in (9b) are licensed in the scope of overt negation -ja/-la ‘NEG’. (9a) ɡami=ni mansi-pʰɯr=a sa-se=bɯ ɡɯi-ja village=GEN person-PL=NOM CLF:human-one=ADD exist-NEG ‘Even a person from the village wasn’t present (in the meeting).’ [BdW13_T01] (9b) aŋ be sijal=ni zɯlɯi=kʰɯo ma-se=bɯ dɯn-la 1.SG this fox=GEN breed=ACC CLF:animal-one=ADD spare-NEG butʰar-zɯb-ɡɯn aŋ=ɯ kill-finish-FUT 1.SG=NOM ‘I will not spare even a fox; I will eliminate (them all.)’ [BdW13_ZF08] Similarly, A-type NPIs are derived from temporal adverbs and are of the forms shown in (10). (10a) hɯlokʰɯ=kʰɯo san-se=bɯ ɡamsa eba ɡosla ɡan-nai nu-nai PN=ACC CLF:day-one=ADD ɡamsa or cloth wear-NOMZ see-NOMZ ɡɯsɯ=ao pʰɯi-ja hearth=LOC come-NEG ‘I don’t remember ever seeing Hwlokhw wear clothes, even for a single day.’ [BdW13_D32] (10b) zai=kʰɯo aŋ aŋ=ni latʰrohajɯi roŋza-nai=kʰɯo which=ACC 1.SG 1.SG=GEN unimaginable happy-NOMZ=ACC pʰɯrmai-hor-nɯ dandi-se=bɯ tʰa-tʰer-nɯ ha-ja-kʰɯi-mɯn express-give-INF CLF:moment-one=ADD remain-ADVZ-INF can-NEG-REAL-PST ‘I could not contain my unimaginable happiness even for a moment.’ [BdW13_L45] 2.2 Classifier:type-how.much/many Quantifiers This subsection discusses Classifier:type-how.much/many quantifiers, including existential [D/A]. 2.2.1 Existential [D/A] quantifiers In Bodo, interrogative cardinals are derived from the question word bese(baŋ) ‘how much/many’. Any classifier can be attached to the word bese(baŋ) to question the number of individuals or entities in the following form: CLF:x-how.many/much ‘how many/much x’ as in (11b-c). The root word bese(baŋ) ‘how.many/much’ alone can also be used directly, as in (11a). (11a) da=ni din=ao malai boibɯ ɡɯrɯŋ~ɡɯra mahari-pʰra zo~zo now=GEN day=LOC other all educated~RED community-PL.NOM together~RED zo-tʰum-lai-nanɯi besebaŋ mansi mao-pʰer-ha-jɯi kʰamani-pʰɯr=kʰɯo sit-ADVZ-REC-NF how.many people do-ever-can-NNOMZ work-pl=ACC lekʰapʰatʰor=ni bɯlɯ=zɯŋ mao-nɯ ha-zɯb-bai book.and.other=GEN strength=INST do-INF can-finish-PRF ‘In recent times, educated members of the community have increasingly engaged in collective discussions, resulting in significant scholarly contributions through books and research papers.’ [BdW13_T07] (11b) be=ba ma-bese zɯ-kʰɯ this=INDEF CLF:animal-how.many sting-PRF ‘(I wonder) how many (insects) stung him?’ [BdW13_S43] (11c) sa-bese doŋ madɯi nɯŋ-sɯr=a no=ao CLF:human-how.many exist aunty 2-PL=POSS house=LOC ‘Aunty, how many (members) are there in your family?’ [BdW13_S23] The D-quantifier bese(baŋ) ‘how much/many’ can be used as an A-quantifier, as shown in (12). (12a) zib=a zibkʰrisejari tʰatʰai=jao besebaŋ som organism=NOM unicellular form=LOC how.much time bar-hɯ-naŋ-dɯŋ-mɯn jump-give-need-REAL-PST ‘How long did organisms remain unicellular?’ [BdW13_Q34] (12b) dodere=a no=ao zo-nanɯi besebaŋ san ne-ɡasinɯ PN=NOM home=LOC sit-NF how.many day wait-PROG tʰa-bai bi remain-PRF 3.SG ‘How long has Dodere been waiting at home?’ [BdW13_V06] (12c) zi sa-se~sa-nɯi doŋ bi-sɯr=ba arɯ what CLF:human-one~CLF:human-two exist 3-PL=INDEF and san-bese tʰa-bao-ɡɯn CLF:day-how.many remain-again-FUT ‘(I wonder) how long they will live with what remains.’ [BdW13_D31] 2.3 Classifier:type-each/every Quantifiers This subsection discusses the Classifier:type-each/everyquantifiers that include universal=additive [D/A]. 2.3.1 Universal [D/A] Quantifiers Some distributive D-quantifiers can be derived from all classifiers. These classifier expressions have the CLF:type-each=ADD form, as in (13). The word sa-pʰrɯm=bɯ ‘CLF:human-each=ADD’ in (13a) refers to each/every person, while ma-pʰrɯm=bɯ ‘CLF:animal-each=ADD’ in (13b) refers to each/every animal. (13a) sa-pʰrɯm=bɯ subuŋ=a=nɯ laցzarias ziu kʰuŋ-nɯ lubɯi-jɯ CLF:human-each=ADD person=NOM=COR luxurious life shape-INF wish-HAB ‘Everyone/each person wants to live a luxurious life.’ [BdW13_F05] (13b) seŋdaŋ=kʰɯo ɡami=ni sɯima-pʰra ma-pʰrɯm=bɯ sinai-jɯ PN=ACC village=GEN dog-PL.NOM CLF:animal-each=ADD know-HAB ‘Each/every dog of the village knows Sengdang.’ [BdW13_S04] Distributive A-quantifiers are derived from a temporal classifier, such as kʰeb or kʰon, etc. and marked by the additive enclitic =bɯ. These quantifiers quantify over all instances of an action or event. All these quantifiers have uniform morphological composition (i.e., CLF:type-each=ADD), as in (14). The quantifiers kʰeb-pʰrɯm=bɯ or kʰon-pʰrɯm=bɯ ‘CLF:time-every=ADD’ refer to each time or every time, while the quantifier san-pʰrɯm=bɯ ‘CLF:day-every=ADD’ refers to each day or every day. (14a) mamud=ni kʰeb-pʰrɯm=bɯ ɡaɡlɯb-nai=jao derha-nai=ja PN=GEN CLF:time-every=ADD attack-NOMZ=LOC win-NOMZ=NOM ijun=ni musolman ɡaɡlɯb-ɡra-pʰɯr=kʰɯo tʰuluŋɡa hɯ-dɯŋ-mɯn future=GEN PN attack-NOMZ-PL=ACC encourage give-REAL-PST ‘Mahmud’s win in every attack encouraged future Muslim attackers.’ [BdW13_R05] (14b) zɯŋ san-pʰrɯm=bɯ malai=kʰɯo=sɯ bidintʰi hisab-ɯi la-jɯ 1.PL CLF:day-every=ADD other=ACC=COR example like-ADVZ take-HAB ‘Every day, we consider others as role models.’ [BdW13_Q08] 2.4 Classifier:cycle.of.action-numeral Quantifiers This subsection deals with Classifier:cycle.of.action-numeral quantifiers that include proportional [D/A]. 2.4.1 Proportional [D/A] Quantifiers Many A-quantifiers are derived from verb roots and used as adverbial quantifiers. All these quantifiers follow the uniform morphological distribution of CLF:v-NOMZ-NUM order, as shown in Table 6. Bodo usually derives nominals from root verbs by suffixing the nominal derivational suffix -ɡa ‘NOMZ’ to describe the actions/events in phases, cycles, rounds, or episodes. The derived nominal cycle.of.action ‘cycle of action’ is then used as a classifier CLF:cycle.of.action-NUM ‘NUM cycle of action’ by suffixing numerals to it, notifying the phases, cycles, rounds, or episodes in concrete numbers, as shown in (15). (15) root verb + NOMZ ≫ CLF:cycle.of.action ‘cycle of action’ CLF:cycle.of.action + NUM ≫ CLF:cycle.of.action-NUM ‘NUM cycle of action’ Table 6. Some Derived Classifier-numeral Quantifiers in Bodo S.N. Quantifier Morpheme Morpheme Gloss Gloss 1. muɡase mu-ɡa-se CLF:sleep-NOMZ-one a cycle of sleep 2. zaɡase za-ɡa-se CLF:eat-NOMZ-one a cycle of eating 3. soŋɡase soŋ-ɡa-se CLF:cook-NOMZ-one a cycle of cooking 4. balabɡase balab-ɡa-se CLF:episode-NOMZ-one a cycle of episode 5. rɯzabɡase rɯzab-ɡa-se CLF:sing-NOMZ-one a cycle of singing The quantifier mu-ɡa-se ‘CLF:sleep-NOMZ-one’ refers to a cycle of sleep, as shown in (16a), while the quantifier za-ɡa-brɯi ‘CLF:eat-NOMZ-four’ refers to four rounds of eating a meal, as shown in (16b). (16a) hor tʰɯo-laŋ-bai roŋzali=ja obla mu-ɡa-se night deep-take.away-PRF PN=NOM then CLF:sleep-NOMZ-one mɯn-khaŋ-na sɯŋ-dɯŋ bipʰa=kʰɯo da=bɯ undu-wa-kʰɯi apʰa get-collect-NF ask-REAL3.SG father=ACC now=ADD sleep-NEG-REAL father ‘Late into the night, after Rongjali had completed a cycle of sleep, she asked her father, ‘Haven’t you slept yet, Father?’ [BdW13_S68] (16b) da za=ba=bɯ za-ɡa-se un=ao za=ba=bɯ za-ɡa-se now eat=COND=ADD clf:eat-nomz-one later=LOC eat=COND=ADD CLF:eat-NOMZ-one ‘Whether I eat once now or later, (it’s the same).’ [BdW13_S17] All A-quantifiers can also be used as D-quantifiers, as shown in (17). (17a) onaru=wa aŋ=nɯ tʰopʰla=jao zu-nanɯi za-ɡa-se PN=NOM 1.SG=DAT cloth.wrap=LOC cover-NF CLF:eat-NOMZ-one mairoŋ hor-dɯŋ-mɯn rice give-REAL-PST ‘Onaru gave me a one-time edible rice (uncooked), wrapped in a cloth.’ [Constructed] (17b) zɯŋ da=sɯ balab-ɡa-se saotʰun nai-kʰaŋ-bai 1.PL now=COR CLF:episode-NOMZ-one movie watch-take.up-PRF ‘We just finished watching a one-time watchable (episode) movie.’ [Constructed] 2.5 Interrogative=Indefinite Quantifiers This subsection deals with Interrogative=Indefinite quantifiers that include existential [D/A], universal [A], and negative polarity item [A]. 2.5.1 Existential [D/A] Quantifiers Some existential D-quantifiers are indefinite expressions marked by the indefinite enclitic =ba. These are primarily derived from root question words. For instance, the quantifier ma=ba ‘what=INDEF’ is derived from the word ma ‘what’, while sɯr=ba ‘who=INDEF’ is derived from the word sɯr ‘who’, as shown in (18). (18a) sɯr=ba ցotʰo eba pʰorai-sa=ja bi-sɯr=ni sutʰur noŋ-a who=INDEF child or read-NOMZ=NOM 3-PL=GEN enemy be-NEG ‘A child or student is not their enemy.’ [BdW13_Q06] (18b) ma=ba sulu la-nɯ=sɯ pʰɯi-dɯŋ be zɯŋ=ni raizɯ=ao what=INDEF information take-INF=COR come-REAL this 1.PL=GEN country=LOC ‘He comes to our country to gather some information.’ [BdW13_U02] Again, some indefinite D-quantifiers are not marked by the enclitic =ba, as shown in Table 7. While the quantifiers kʰaipʰa ‘some’ and kʰaise ‘some’ have an Indo-Aryan origin (most probably the word kiba ‘something’ in Assamese), the other quantifier makʰase ‘some’ looks like a blend of the Bodo word ma ‘what’ and kʰaise ‘some’. Note that the second syllables -pʰa ‘SEQ’ and -se ‘one’ in words kʰaipʰa and kʰaise, respectively, have a Bodo origin. The syllable pʰa is a distributive sequential morpheme, and the syllable se is probably the numeral one. Table 7. Indefinite Quantifier in Bodo S.N. Quantifier Morpheme Morpheme Gloss Gloss 1. kʰaipʰa kʰai-pʰa some-SEQ some 2. kʰaise kʰai-se some-one some 3. makʰa(i)se ma-kʰa(i)se what-some some The example in (19a) shows the use of the indefinite quantifier kʰaipʰa=ja ‘some-SEQ=NOM’ in the subject position of the main clause, kʰai-se ‘some-one’ in (19b), and ma-kʰa-se ‘what-some-one’ in (19c). (19a) kʰai-pʰa=ja mɯdɯm naŋzab~naŋzab kʰona~kʰona zirai-kʰɯma-nanɯi some-SEQ=NOM body close~RED corner~RED sit-hide-NF kʰuցa ruzu ruzu ma=ba~mabi rai-zlai-dɯŋ mouth close RED what=INDEF~RED shout-REC-REAL ‘Some people are talking about something sitting closely in the corner, hiding.’ [BdW13_S74] (19b) ցi-nanɯi=nɯ kʰai-se mansi-pʰɯr=a zebɯ kʰamani mao-nɯ ha-ja fear-NF=COR some-one person-PL=NOM any work do-INF can-NEG ‘Some people cannot do any work owing to fear.’ [BdW13_Y31] (19c) ma-kʰa-se bipʰaŋ-pʰra ran-nɯ hom-dɯŋ what-some-one tree-PL.NOM dry-INF catch-REAL ‘Some trees began to dry out.’ [BdW13_ZB20] The D-quantifiers in (19) can be used as A-quantifiers as shown in (20). (20a) kʰai-pʰa/kʰai-se bɯsɯr=ao kʰom okʰa ha-jɯ arɯ some-SEQ/some-one year=LOC less rain rain-HAB and kʰai-pʰa/kʰai-se bɯsɯr=ao bara okʰa ha-jɯ some-SEQ/some-one year=LOC more rain rain-HAB ‘Some years receive less rainfall, while others receive more.’ [Constructed] (20b) sombaru=wa ma-kʰa-se san=ao na bedor za-ja PN=NOM what-some-one day=LOC fish meat eat-NEG ‘Sombaru does not eat non-vegetarian food on certain occasions.’ [Constructed] Again, some indefinite A-quantifiers are marked by the indefinite enclitic =ba, like the indefinite D-type quantifiers. They provide information about the frequency of actions/events. The word mablaba ‘sometimes’ is derived from the question word mabla ‘when’, while the derivation of ekʰombla ‘sometimes’ is unclear, as shown in (21). (21a) bitʰaŋ-mɯn=a betʰon mɯn-na=bɯ kʰamani mao-nai=jao mabla=ba 3.HON-PL=NOM salary get-NF=ADD work do-NOMZ=LOC when=INDEF olsia kʰalam-ɯ lethargic do-HAB ‘They sometimes become lethargic at work, even after receiving their wage.’ BdW13_D08] (21b) be=ni onɡajɯi subuŋ=a ekʰombla ɡao=nɯ ɡao raɡa zɯŋ-kʰaŋ-ɯ this=GEN without person=NOM sometimes self=COR self angry light-collect-HAB ‘Aside from this, there are moments sometimes when the individual becomes upset with themselves.’ [BdW13_D30] 2.5.2 Universal [A] Quantifiers Some A-quantifiers are derived from the temporal or adverbial question word zebla ‘when’ and are obligatorily marked by the additive enclitic =bɯ as shown in (22). The quantifier zebla=bɯ ‘when=ADD’ refers to always or every time, as shown in (22). (22a) mɯzaŋ huda=ja zebla=bɯ zɯoɡa-sar-nai=ni lama good habit=NOM when=ADD grow-spread-NOMZ=GEN path dintʰi-ɡiri show-NOMZ ‘Good habits always guide the way to progress.’ [BdW13_F30] (22b) ɡao=ni sutʰur=a zebla=bɯ ɡadob-nɯ naza-ɡɯn self=GEN enemy=NOM when=ADD dominate-INF attempt-FUT ‘Your enemy will attempt to dominate (you).’ [BdW13_A16] 2.5.3 Negative Polarity Items [A] The A-quantifier mabla=ba=bɯ ‘when=INDEF=ADD’ refers to even occasionally and requires an overt negative marker to occur in a sentence (cf. Brahma & Kumar 2021; Brahma 2022), as shown in (23). (23a) ai apʰa buŋ-nai batʰra=kʰɯo mabla=ba=bɯ ɡonai-na la-ja mother father say-NOMZ word=ACC when=INDEF=ADD accept-NF take-NEG ‘(He) does not listen to his parents’ advice even occasionally. /(He) never listens to parents’ advice.’ [BdW13_D08] (23b) bi-sɯr=ɯ bihao bikʰunzɯ=ni siɡaŋ=ao mabla=ba=bɯ 3-PL=NOM father-in-law mother-in-law=GEN before=LOC when=INDEF=ADD ɡazri akʰu dintʰi-pʰer-a-kʰɯi-mɯn inappropriate behavior display-ever-NEG-REAL-PST ‘They never displayed inappropriate behavior in front of (their) father-in-law and mother-in-law.’ [BdW13_F66] 2.6 Non-classifier/Indefinite Quantifiers This subsection discusses the Non-classifier/Indefinite quantifiers that are existential [D/A], universal [D/A], and NPI=additive [D/A]. 2.6.1 Existential [D/A] Quantifiers Value judgment D-quantifiers express a subjective evaluation or an opinion rather than an objective or numerical measurement. The example in (24a) shows the use of the value judgment quantifier ցɯbaŋ ‘many’ in the subject position of the embedded clause. The example in (24b) shows the use of the quantifier ese ‘a.few’ in the object position of the sentence, the example in (24c) shows the use of the quantifier tʰɯzase ‘adequate/sufficient’ in the direct object position of the sentence, and the example (24d) shows the use of the quantifier kʰom/bara ‘less/more’ in the subject position of the sentence. The example in (24e) shows the use of the quantifier santʰrohajɯi ‘uncountable’ in the subject position of the sentence. These quantifiers can occur with both countable and uncountable NPs. (24a) tʰaŋ-nanɯi tʰa-nai=ni tʰakʰai ցɯbaŋ lama doŋ hɯn-nanɯi buŋ-nai live-NF stay-NOMZ=GEN for many way exist say-NF say-NOMZ za-jɯ happen-HAB ‘It is claimed that there are many (numerous) ways of living.’ [BdW13_B01] (24b) mɯiցoŋ=bɯ ese labɯ-kʰa-dɯŋ vegetable=ADD a.few bring-in.advance-REAL ‘(He) also brought a few vegetables in advance.’ [BdW13_ZF03] (24c) nɯŋtʰaŋ=a aŋ=nɯ tʰɯzase sɯlɯŋ-tʰai hɯ-bai 2.SG.HON=NOM 1.SG=DAT adequate learn-NOMZ give-PRF ‘You have provided me with (an) adequate education.’ [BdW13_T09] (24d) dinɯi=ni mel=ao kʰom/bara subuŋ pʰɯi-dɯŋ-mɯn today=GEN meeting=LOC less/more people come-REAL-PST ‘Less/more people came to today’s meeting (as compared to other instances).’ [Constructed] (24e) santʰrohajɯi mansi-pʰɯr=a bilɯ=jao na ɡur-nɯ tʰaŋ-ɡasinɯ doŋ-o uncountable people-PL=NOM lake=LOC fish fishing-INF go-PROG exist-AFF ‘Uncountable people are going fishing at the lake.’ [Constructed] In Bodo, the value judgement D-quantifiers such as ɡɯbaŋ ‘a lot’ ese ‘little’ tʰɯzase ‘adequate’, kʰom ‘less’, bara ‘more’ and santʰrohajɯi ‘uncountable’ can be used as degree A-quantifiers as in (25). (25a) onzali=ja ɡɯbaŋ/ese/tʰɯzase/kʰom/bara raizlai-jɯ PN=NOM a.lot/little/adequate/less/more talk-HAB ‘Onjali talks a lot/little/adequate/less/more.’ [Constructed] (25b) onzali=ja da=sɯ ai=kʰɯo santʰrohajɯi batʰra PN=NOM now=COR my.mother=ACC uncountable word kʰɯna-soŋ-hɯ-laŋ-bai hear-find-give-take.away-PRF ‘Just now, Onjali scolded my mother a lot, with an innumerable number of words.’ [Constructed] 2.6.2 Universal [D/A] Quantifiers In Bodo, all universal D-quantifiers are marked by the additive enclitic =bɯ. The quantifier boibɯ ‘all’ is exclusively used for humans, while the quantifier ɡasɯi=bɯ ‘all= ADD’ is for both humans and non-humans, as shown in (26). (26a) zɯŋ boibɯ subuŋ=a be onaցari haba=kʰɯo sɯŋkʰari-naŋ-ցɯo 1.PL all person=NOM this unfair work=ACC criticize-need-AFF arɯ hɯbtʰa-naŋ-ցɯo and stop-need-AFF ‘We all have to criticise and stop this unfair work.’ [BdW13_D05] (26b) zɯŋ ցasɯi=bɯ ziu=wao ցɯbaŋ kʰɯtʰa buŋ-ɯ 1.PL all=ADD life=LOC many word say-HAB ‘In our daily lives, we all say many things.’ [BdW13_Y14] The universal ɡasɯibɯ ‘all’ can also be used as an A-quantifier (27). (27) ɡami=ni be pʰaŋ-se bipʰaŋ=a bɯsɯr=ni ɡasɯibɯ village=GEN this CLF:tree-one tree=NOM year=GEN all som=ao=nɯ sɯmkʰɯr.ɡɯtʰaŋ za-nanɯi tʰa-jɯ moment=LOC=COR dark.green be-NF stay-HAB ‘This one tree of the village remains dark green in every season of the year.’ [Constructed] 2.6.3 Negative Polarity Items [D/A] Some D-quantifiers exclusively occur in the presence of overt negative markers, also referred to as negative polarity items (cf. Brahma 2022) and are obligatorily marked by the additive enclitic =bɯ (cf. Brahma & Kumar 2021), as in (28). (28a) dinɯi saun dan=ni zi-ba okʰtʰo za-bai natʰai today PN month=GEN ten-five date happen-PRF but dinɯi=bɯ okʰa ese=bɯ ɡɯi-ja today=ADD rain a.little=ADD exist-NEG ‘Today is the fifteenth day of the Sravan month, but even today, not a single drop of rain has fallen.’ [BdW13_S44] (28b) bima bipʰa=ja pʰisa-zɯ=nɯ muŋ=bɯ zɯtʰɯb 3.SG.mother 3.SG.father=NOM child-female=DAT name=ADD gift hor-pʰa-ja-kʰɯi-mɯn give-ASSOC-NEG-REAL-PST ‘Her parents didn’t give her daughter (any) gift (at the wedding).’ [Constructed] (28c) ziu=kʰɯo bi=jɯ zebɯ sɯdɯbtʰi ցɯi-ja hɯn-nanɯi life=ACC 3.SG=NOM any meaning exist-NEG say-NF san-nanɯi la-jɯ think-NF take-HAB ‘S/he thinks that life does not have any meaning.’ [BdW13_Y31] Like D-quantifiers, some A-quantifiers (Negative Polarity Items) exclusively occur in the presence of overt negative markers and are marked by the additive enclitic =bɯ as shown in (29). (29) ese=bɯ som ɡɯi-lia bi=nao aŋ=zɯŋ mɯzaŋ ɡazri batʰra rai-zlai-nɯ a.little=ADD time exist-NEG 3.SG=GEN.LOC A.SG=ASS good bad sentence shout-REC-INF ‘S/he does not have even a little moment to talk with me about miscellaneous things.’ [Constructed] 3 Morphologically Derived Complex Quantifiers This section deals with the morpho-syntactically derived complex quantifiers in Bodo. They can be broadly classified into Classifier:type-numeral, Classifier:type-how.much/many, Classifier:type-each/every, Classifier:cycle.of.action-numeral, Interrogative=Indefinite, and Non-classifier/Indefinite, based on the morphological compositions. This section also discusses multiple quantifiers of different categories. 3.1 Classifier:type-numeral Quantifiers This subsection discusses the Classifier:type-numeral quantifiers that include existential [D/A] and proportional [D/A]. 3.1.1 Existential [D/A] Quantifiers Distributive D-quantifiers are usually reduplicated classifier-numeral (CLF:type-NUM) or classifier-sequence (CLF:type-SEQ), as shown in (30). (30a) bi-sɯr=ɯ ɡasɯi=bɯ boro hari=ni 3-PL=NOM all=ADD PN community=GEN sa-se~sa-se ɡedema subuŋ CLF:human-one~CLF:human-one renowned person ‘All of them/every one of them are renowned persons of the Boro community.’ [Constructed] (30b) hanza-pʰɯr=ao sorasonsra-jɯi sa-pʰa~sa-pʰa dɯidenɡiri tʰa-jɯ group-PL=LOC usually-ADVZ CLF:human-SEQ~CLF:human-SEQ leader stay-HAB ‘Usually, there are a few leaders in each group.’ [BdW13_Y31] (30c) manɯna sa-pʰrɯm=bɯ laimɯn-a=nɯ sa-pʰa~sa-pʰa because CLF:human-each=ADD teen-NOM=FOC CLF:human-SEQ~CLF:human-SEQ buhum=ni ɡeder subuŋ sompʰod world=GEN big person asset ‘Because every teen is the world’s big human asset.’ [BdW13_F46] Again, a sequence of two quantifiers is used to refer to uniform and equal distribution of space or place dab-pʰa ‘CLF:place-SEQ’ to each individual sa-pʰa ‘CLF:human-SEQ’ in (31a) and of animal ma-pʰa ‘CLF:animal-SEQ’ to each individual sa-pʰa ‘CLF:human-SEQ’ in (31b). (31a) bi-ma ցɯma-nanɯi asam muluց=ao tʰa-dɯŋ dinɯi boro 3SG-mother lose-NF assam world=LOC live-REAL today PN pʰisa=pʰra sa-pʰa dab-pʰa offspring=PL.NOM CLF:human-SEQ CLF:place-SEQ ‘Each Bodo offspring lives in different parts of Assam after losing their mother.’ [BdW13_F47] (31b) sa-pʰa ma-pʰa ran-na la CLF:human-SEQ CLF:animal-SEQ distribute-NF take ‘Each (of you) person distribute (share) an animal each.’ [Constructed] Classifier-numeral sa-se~sa-nɯi ‘CLF:human-one~CLF:human-two’ in (32a) means approximately one or two, implying that a nearby value (for example, 3) or very few people. In some cases, the coordinative conjunction eba ‘or’ is used between the two classifier-numeral expressions (32b). (32a) zi sa-se~sa-nɯi doŋ bi-sɯr=bɯ arɯ san-bese whatever CLF:human-one~CLF:human-two exist 3.SG-PL=ADD and CLF:day-how.many tʰa-bao-nɯ stay-again-FUT ‘Considering one or two (very few) people left, how long will they survive?’ [BdW13_D31] (32b) ɡudi pʰoraisali-pʰɯr=ao boha=ba~boha=ba sa-se primary school-PL=LOC where=INDEF~where=INDEF CLF:human-one eba sa-nɯi pʰɯrɯŋɡiri=lo nu-nɯ mɯn-ɯ or CLF:human-two teacher=REST see-INF get-HAB ‘(It is observed that) there are only one or two teachers in some primary schools.’ [BdW13_Q30] An alternative to the classifier-numeral expression sa-se~sa-nɯi ‘CLF:human-one~CLF:human-two’ in (33) is sa-pʰa~sa-nɯi ‘CLF:human-SEQ~CLF:human-two’ in (33). (33) sitʰla=jao ɡami=ni sa-pʰa~sa-nɯi mansi-pʰɯr=a courtyard=LOC village=GEN CLF:human-SEQ~CLF:human-two people-PL=NOM za-pʰɯi-dɯŋ eat-come-REAL ‘A few people came and ate (food) in the courtyard.’ [BdW13_S68] Like Distributive D-quantifiers (30), Distributive A-quantifiers are reduplicated classifier-numerals (CLF:type-NUM) or classifier-sequences (CLF:type-SEQ), as shown in (34). (34) boibɯ pʰoraisa-pʰɯr=a kʰon-se~kʰon-se/kʰon-pʰa~kʰon-pʰa all student-PL=NOM CLF:type-one~CLF:type-one/CLF:type-SEQ~CLF:type-SEQ pʰorai-kʰaŋ-bai read-bring.up-PRF ‘All students have/every student has finished reading once.’ [Constructed] The classifier-numeral sequence kʰon-se~kʰon-nɯi ‘CLF:time-one~CLF:time-two’ in (35) means approximately once or twice, implying a nearby value (for example, thrice) or a few times or occasions. (35) onaru=wa zɯŋ=nao kʰon-se~kʰon-nɯi/kʰon-pʰa~kʰon-nɯi PN=NOM 2.PL=GEN.LOC CLF:time-one~CLF:time-two/CLF:time-SEQ~CLF:time-two pʰɯi-kʰaŋ-bai come-bring.up-PRF ‘Onaru has come to our place once or twice/a few times.’ [Constructed] Frequency expressions can take the following forms: kʰonle~kʰonle ‘again~again’ (36a) and ɡɯbaŋ kʰeb ‘many time’ (36b). (36a) kʰomla=ni mɯkʰaŋ=a=lo kʰonle~kʰonle aŋ=ni ɡɯsɯ=wao PN=GEN face=NOM=REST again~again 1.SG=GEN heart=LOC zakʰaŋ-pʰɯi-bai tʰa-bai reflect-come-PROG stay-PRF ‘Only Komla’s face keeps coming to my heart repeatedly.’ [BdW13_S65] (36b) ɡɯbaŋ kʰeb be lama=zɯŋ zɯŋ=ɯ tʰaŋ-lai pʰɯi-la kʰalam-nɯ many time this road=INST 1.PL=NOM go-REC come-REC do-INF ɡɯnaŋ za-dɯŋ-mɯn need be-REAL-PST ‘We had to travel this road many times.’ [BdW13_D47] A sequence of two quantifiers is used to refer to uniform and equal distribution of times/events kʰon-pʰa ‘CLF:time-SEQ’ for each day san-pʰa ‘CLF:day-SEQ’ in (37a) and amounts epʰa ‘a.little.SEQ’ for each day san-pʰa ‘CLF:day-SEQ’ in (37b). (37a) san-pʰa kʰon-pʰa mao-bla=nɯ pʰɯ-zɯb-nɯ ha-ɡɯn nɯŋ CLF:day-SEQ CLF:time-SEQ do-COND=COR cause-finish-INF can-FUT you be haba=kʰɯo this work=ACC ‘You will be able to finish this task if you work once daily.’ [Constructed] (37b) san-pʰa epʰa mao-bla=nɯ pʰɯ-zɯb-nɯ ha-ɡɯn nɯŋ be haba=kʰɯo CLF:day-SEQ a.little do-COND=COR cause-finish-INF can-FUT you this work=ACC ‘You will be able to finish this task if you work a little daily.’ [Constructed] 3.1.2 Proportional [D/A] Quantifiers Complex proportional or partitive D-quantifiers are expressed by using phrases such as pʰan-brɯi=ni pʰan-se ‘CLF:proportion-four=GEN CLF:proportion-one’, which refers to one-quarter and brɯi bahaɡɯ=ni se bahaɡɯ ‘four part=GEN one part’, which refers to one-quarter, as shown in (38a) and (38b) respectively. (38a) abad besad=ni pʰan-brɯi=ni pʰan-se cultivation thing=GEN CLF:proportion-four=GEN CLF:proportion-one razkʰazɯna hisab-ɯi khaŋ-nai za-nai-mɯn king.tax count-ADVZ collect-NOMZ happen-HAB-PST ‘One-fourth of the agricultural yield was gathered as a tax by the king.’ [BdW13_R13] (38b) adra brɯi bahaɡɯ=ni se bahaɡɯ=a=sɯ nem kʰantʰi=ni remaining four part=GEN one part=NOM=COR rule regulation=GEN kʰɯtʰa doŋ-o word exist-AFF ‘There are rules and regulations in the remaining quarter section (of the Book).’ [BdW13_Y14] Complex PPs such as ba-zi=ao sa-brɯi eba sa-ba pʰoraisa-pʰra ‘five-ten=LOC CLF:human-four or CLF:human-five student=PL.NOM’ referring to four or five students out of fifty students, soptʰa=jao kʰon-se eba kʰon-nɯi ‘week=LOC CLF:time-one or CLF:time-two’ referring to every week, once or twice and dan-se=jao kʰon-brɯi kʰon-ba ‘CLF:month-one=LOC CLF:time-four CLF:time-five’ referring to every month, four or five times are used in the example (39). The example in (39a) is an instance of a complex D-quantifier expression, while the example in (39b) is an instance of a complex A-expression. (39a) bɯsɯr-pʰrɯm=bɯ metric anzad=ao ba-zi=ao sa-brɯi CLF:year-each=ADD matric exam=LOC five-ten=LOC CLF:human-four eba sa-ba pʰoraisa-pʰra pʰel za-kʰa-jɯ or CLF:human-five student-PL.NOM fail be-true-HAB ‘Every year, out of fifty students, four or five students fail the matric examination.’ [Constructed] (39b) soptʰa=jao kʰon-se eba kʰon-nɯi dan-se=jao week=LOC CLF:time-one or CLF:time-two CLF:month-one=LOC kʰon-brɯi kʰon-ba mablaba~mablaba btad ɯnsɯl=ao bondo CLF:time-four CLF:time-five sometimes~RED PN region=LOC bandh za-nai=kʰɯo nu-nɯ mɯn-ɯ happen-NOMZ=ACC see-INF get-HAB ‘Every week, once or twice, and every month, four or five times, we sometimes witness the complete closure of the BTAD area.’ [BdW13_D18] 3.2 Classifier:type-how.much/many Quantifiers This subsection discusses the Classifier:type-how.much/many quantifiers that include existential [D/A]. 3.2.1 Existential [D/A] Quantifiers Distributive D-interrogatives are of reduplicated forms, as shown in (40). (40a) bese(baŋ)~bese(baŋ) za-kʰɯ nɯŋ-sɯr=lai how.much~how.much be-PRF-CS 2-PL=TOP ‘How much have each of you eaten?’ [Constructed] (40b) tʰai-bese~tʰai-bese mɯn-kʰɯ tʰaizɯo=kʰɯo=lai CLF:fruit-how.many~CLF:fruit-how.many get-PRF mango=ACC=TOP ‘How many mangoes did each of you get?’ [Constructed] Like distributive D-interrogatives, distributive A-interrogatives are reduplicated, as shown in (41). (41a) bese(baŋ)~bese(baŋ) som mɯn-kʰɯ how.much~how.much time get-PRF ‘How much time did each one of you get?’ [Constructed] (41b) bese(baŋ)~bese(baŋ) san za-kʰɯ railai-lai-jɯi=ja=lai how.much~how.much time be-PRF talk-REC-NNOMZ=NOM=TOP ‘How many days has it been since each of you last talked to each?’ [Constructed] 3.3 Classifier:type-each/every Quantifiers This subsection discusses the Classifier:type-each/every quantifiers that include universal [D/A]. 3.3.1 Universal [D/A] Quantifiers The phrase each one of them is expressed using the complex form bi-sɯr=ni ɡezer=ao sa-pʰrɯm=bɯ ‘3-PL=GEN middle=LOC CLF:human-each=ADD’ as in (42). The word under bracket ɡezer=ao ‘middle=LOC’ can be used optionally without changing the phrase’s meaning. Different classifier D-expressions are used to refer to different objects or entities. (42) bi-sɯr=ni (ɡezer=ao) sa-pʰrɯm=bɯ pʰɯrɯŋ-ɡiri-mɯn 3-PL=GEN middle=LOC CLF:human-each=ADD teach-NOMZ-PST ‘Each one of them was a teacher.’ [Constructed] Complex distributive A-quantifiers are reduplicated, as shown in (43). Different types of temporal classifier expressions can be used with a similar pattern. (43) san-pʰrɯm=bɯ~san-pʰrɯm=bɯ aŋ=kʰɯo heŋtʰa da-hɯ=lai CLF:day-each=ADD~CLF:day-each=ADD 1.SG=ACC bother NEG-give=TOP ‘Don’t annoy me every day.’ [Constructed] 3.4 Classifier:cycle.of.action-numeral Quantifiers This subsection discusses the Classifier:cycle.of.action-numeral quantifiers that include proportional [D/A]. 3.4.1 Proportional [D/A] Quantifiers Distribution A-quantifiers are reduplicated, as in (44a-b). (44a) sa-nɯi=bɯ mu-ɡa-se~mu-ɡa-se undu-kʰaŋ-bai CLF:human=ADD CLF:sleep-NOMZ-one~CLF:sleep-NOMZ-one sleep-bring.up-PRF ‘Both of them have slept one round of sleep each.’ [Constructed] (44b) boibɯ za-ɡa-se~za-ɡa-se za-kʰaŋ-bai all CLF:eat-NOMZ-one~CLF:eat-NOMZ-one eat-bring.up-PRF ‘All have eaten one round of the meal each.’ [Constructed] A distributive A-quantifier can be used as a distributive D-quantifier, as in (45). (45) boibɯ za-ɡa-se~za-ɡa-se za-nai everyone CLF:eat-NOMZ-one~CLF:eat-NOMZ-one eat-NOMZ za-hɯi-dɯ eat-go.and.give-POL ‘Everyone please go (and) eat a round of the meal.’ [Constructed] A sequence of two distributive A-quantifiers is used to refer to a sequence of cycles of action, as in (46). (46a) onaru=a da-sim=bɯ lir-ɡa-pʰa pʰorai-ɡa-pʰa kʰalam-ɡasinɯ PN=GEN now-till=ADD CLF:write-NOMZ-SEQ CLF:read-NOMZ-SEQ do-PROG doŋ-o exist-AFF ‘Till now, Onaru is writing (and) reading (in a cyclic manner).’ [Constructed] (46b) nɯŋ za noŋ-a-bla pʰorai natʰai za-ɡa-pʰa 2.SG eat be-NEG-COND read but CLF:eat-NOMZ-SEQ pʰorai-ɡa-pʰa da-kʰalam CLF:eat-NOMZ-SEQ NEG-do ‘You either eat (rice) or read (the book), but don’t eat and read (at the same time cyclically/simultaneously)’ [Constructed] A sequence of two distributive A-quantifiers can be used as Ds, as shown in (47). (47) nɯŋ=ni za-ɡa-pʰa pʰorai-ɡa-pʰa kʰalam-nai=kʰɯo 2.SG=GEN CLF:eat-NOMZ-SEQ CLF:eat-NOMZ-SEQ do-NOMZ=ACC raobɯ sukʰu-a-kʰɯi anyone like-NEG-PRF ‘Nobody liked your cycle of eating (and) reading sequentially.’ [Constructed] 3.5 Interrogative=Indefinite Quantifiers This subsection discusses the Interrogative=Indefinite quantifiers that include existential [D/A]. 3.5.1 Existential [D/A] Quantifiers Reduplicated existential D-quantifiers only emphasize nouns in NPs, as shown in (48) to (49). The expression sɯr=ba~sɯr=ba ‘who=INDEF~who=INDEF’ refers to some people, and ma=ba~mabi ‘what=INDEF~RED’ refers to miscellaneous/several things (48), while the expressions kʰai-se~kʰai-se ‘some-one~some-one’ and kʰai-pʰa~kʰai-pʰa ‘some-SEQ~some-SEQ’ refer to some (vegetables) and some (women) respectively (49). The expression ma-kʰa-se~ma-kʰa-se ‘what-some-one~what-some-one’ (50) can be alternatively used for the quantifying expression kʰai-pʰa~kʰai-pʰa ‘some-SEQ~some-SEQ’ in (49). (48) sɯr=ba~sɯr=ba ma=ba~mabi buŋ-nanɯi mini-laŋ-dɯŋ who=INDEF~who=INDEF what=INDEF~RED say-NF laugh-take.away-REAL ‘Some people laughed out (loud) while saying several things.’ [BdW13_S68] (49a) kʰai-se~kʰai-se mɯiցoŋ=a muli=ni=bɯ kʰamani mao-ɯ some-one~some-one vegetable=NOM medicine=GEN=ADD work do-HAB ‘Some vegetables serve as medicines as well.’ [BdW13_D13] (49b) kʰai-pʰa~kʰai-pʰa aizɯ=a zi da-nanɯi pʰan-nanɯi nokʰor some-SEQ~some-SEQ women=NOM cloth weave-NF sell-NF family soŋsar salai-jɯ world raise-HAB ‘Some women raise their families by weaving and selling clothes.’ [BdW13_Y15] (50) ma-kʰa-se~ma-kʰa-se mansi-pʰra pʰɯtʰar=ao ɡele-dɯŋ what-some-one~what-some-one person-PL.NOM field=LOC play-REAL ‘Some people are playing in the field.’ [Constructed] The D-quantifying expressions kʰai-se~kʰai-se/kʰai-pʰa~kʰai-pʰa ‘some-one~some-one/some-SEQ~some-SEQ’ and ma-kʰa-se~ma-kʰa-se ‘what-some-one~what-some-one’ in (49-50) can be used as an A-quantifier, as shown in (51). (51a) kʰai-se~kʰai-se/kʰai-pʰa~kʰai-pʰa som-pʰɯr=ao oron=a na bedor some-one~some-one/some-SEQ~some-SEQ time-PL=LOC PN=NOM fish meat za-ja eat-NEG ‘On some occasions, Oron does not eat fish and meat.’ [Constructed] (51b) ma-kʰa-se~ma-kʰa-se som=pʰra subuŋ=ni tʰakʰai ɡazri what-some-one~what-some-one time-PL.NOM person=GEN for bad ‘Some moments are bad for people.’ [Constructed] The frequency quantifiers mabla=ba~mabla=ba ‘when=INDEF~when=INDEF’ (52a) and ekʰombla~ekʰombla ‘sometimes~sometimes’ (52b) refer to sometimes or occasionally and emphasize the frequency of action. (52a) beo=hai puza hɯ-pʰɯi-jɯ mabla=ba~mabla=ba here=LOC pray give-come-HAB when=INDEF~when=INDEF ‘(People) come and pray here occasionally.’ [BdW13_ZC07] (52b) ekʰombla~ekʰombla mansi-pʰɯr=a noŋkʰai batʰra buŋ-ɯ sometimes~sometimes people-PL=NOM lie word say-HAB ‘Sometimes people tell lies.’ [Constructed] The Bodo equivalent of the phrase ‘as much/many as’ is formed with the relative-corelative construction zesebaŋ ‘as much/many’…esebaŋ ‘that much/many’ as shown in (53). (53) zesebaŋ za-ɡɯn esebaŋ der-ɡɯn how.much eat-FUT that.much grow-FUT ‘(It) will grow as much as (it) eats.’ [Constructed] 3.6 Non-classifier/Indefinite Quantifiers This subsection discusses the Non-classifier/Indefinite quantifiers that includes existential [D/A]. 3.6.1 Existential [D/A] Quantifiers Reduplicated value judgment existential D-quantifier ese~ese ‘a.little~a.little’/epʰa~epʰa ‘a.little.SEQ~a.little.SEQ’, tʰɯzase~tʰɯzase ‘adequate~adequate’, and kʰom~kʰom/bara~bara ‘less~less/more~more’ perform distributive function (54). (54a) za-nai-pʰɯr=kʰɯo ɡasɯi=nɯ=bɯ ese~ese/epʰa~epʰa eat-NOMZ-PL=ACC all=DAT=ADD a.little~a.little/a.little.SEQ~a.little.SEQ ran-na hor distribute-NF give ‘Give everyone a little bit of food.’ [Constructed] (54b) boibɯ tʰɯzase~tʰɯzase ɯŋkʰam za-na tʰaŋ-bai everyone adequate~adequate rice eat-NF go-PRF ‘Everyone left after having eaten enough rice.’ [Constructed] (54c) onnanɯi kʰom~kʰom/bara~bara za-nai hor please less~less/more~more eat-NOMZ give ‘Please give (me) less/more food.’ [Constructed] Reduplicated value judgement indefinite existential D-quantifiers ese~enɯi ‘a.little~RED’ and epʰa~enɯi ‘a.little.SEQ~RED’ in (55) express a little. (55) dana tʰebɡaŋ=a=bɯ ese~enɯi/epʰa~enɯi kʰamai-sɯi now PN=NOM=ADD a.little~RED/a.little.SEQ~RED earn-CS ‘These days, Thebgang also has started earning a little.’ [Constructed] The sequence of value judgment D-quantifiers kʰom bara ‘less more’ in (56) means more or less in its literal sense. (56) ese~enɯi=ja=lai kʰom bara za-kʰa-jɯ be-pʰɯr=kʰɯo a.little~RED=NOM=TOP less more be-factual-HAB this-PL=ACC buŋ-a-bla=bɯ za-jɯ say-NEG-COND=ADD be-AFF ‘There will be more or less (in the measurement), (you) don’t need to say this.’ [Constructed] The sequence of the D-quantifier expressions santʰrohajɯi ‘uncountable’ and ɡɯbaŋ ‘many’ in (57) refer to an uncountable number. (57) santʰrohajɯi ɡɯbaŋ subuŋ-pʰɯr=a dinɯi=ni mel=ao uncountable many people-PL=NOM today=GEN meeting=LOC nu-za-pʰɯi-dɯŋ-mɯn see-PASS-come-REAL-PST ‘An uncountable number of people attended today’s meeting.’ [Constructed] The above distributive existential D-quantifiers ese~ese ‘a.little~a.little’/epʰa~epʰa ‘a.little.SEQ~a.little.SEQ’, tʰɯzase~tʰɯzase ‘adequate~adequate’, and kʰom~kʰom/bara~bara ‘less~less/more~more’ in (54) can be used as a distributive A-quantifier, as shown in (58). (58a) ɡasɯi=bɯ muli=a=nɯ ese~ese/epʰa~epʰa all=ADD medicine=NOM=COR a.little~a.little/a.little.SEQ~a.little.SEQ mɯnam-kʰa-jɯ smell-obvious-HAB ‘All (allopathic) medicine smells a little.’ [Constructed] (58b) bibari=kʰɯo boibɯ tʰɯzase~tʰɯzase rai-laŋ-bai PN=ACC all adequate~adequate scold-take.away-PRF ‘All scolded Bibari adequately.’ [Constructed] (58c) ɡami=ni mansi-pʰɯr=a kʰom~kʰom/bara~bara raizlai-ɯ village=GEN person-PL=NOM less~less/more~more talk-HAB ‘The villagers speak less/more.’ [Constructed] Value judgment existential A-quantifiers are reduplicated, as shown in (59). (59) ese~enɯi/epʰa~enɯi mɯnam-ɯ a.little~RED/a.little.SEQ~RED smell-HAB ‘(It) has a faint odour.’/ ‘(It) smells a little.’ [BdW13_ZB19] A sequence of D-quantifier expressions, santʰrohajɯi ‘uncountable’ and ɡɯbaŋ ‘many’ in (57), can be used as an A-quantifier in (60). (60) santʰrohajɯi ɡɯbaŋ som=ni un=ao=sɯ tʰebɡaŋ=a no=ao uncountable many time=GEN back=LOC=COR PN=NOM home=LOC pʰɯi-pʰin-bai come-return-PRF ‘After an endless number of days, Thebgang has come back home.’ [Constructed] Frequency Existential A-quantifiers are of the reduplicated som~som ‘time~time’ form (61). (61) som~som sɯrba zi da-nɯ hɯ-pʰɯi-jɯ sɯrba pʰitʰɯb time~time someone cloth weave-INF give-come-HAB someone yarn.bal lu-nɯ hɯ-pʰɯi-jɯ sɯrba mairoŋ zao-nɯ sɯrba no build-INF give-come-HAB someone rice clean-INF someone house lir-nɯ leŋ-pʰɯi-jɯ write-INF request-come-HAB ‘Occasionally, people request me to engage in weaving, create yarn balls, or apply a mixture of soil and cow dung to the house.’ [BdW13_S68] The words ɡole/zaule ‘again’ are reduplicated as ɡole~ɡole/zaule~zaule ‘again~again’ to express repeatedly, as shown in (62). (62a) be baidi ցole~ցole mao-bai tʰa-jɯ-bla ananɡosai=ja tʰarɯi=nɯ this like again~again do-PROG stay-HAB-COND god=NOM truly=COR nimaha hɯ-bai tʰa-jɯ-na forgive give-PROG stay-HAB-Q ‘If (you) continue to repeat this action over and over, do God forgive you repeatedly?’ [BdW13_E05] (62b) kʰon-se za-pʰlaŋ-nai-kʰɯo=nɯ zaule~zaule buŋ-bai tʰa-jɯ CLF: event-one happen-ADV-NOMZ=ACC=COR again~again say-PROG stay-HAB ɡao=ha self=POSS ‘You repeatedly refer to an incident that occurred by accident.’ [BdW13_S01] Degree word (intensifier) zɯbɯd ‘very’ is used with value judgment quantifiers kom/ese/burza ‘less/a.little/more’ to form complex D-quantifiers (63a) and A-quantifiers (63b). (63a) zɯbɯd kom/ese/burza mansi-pʰɯr=nao=sɯ be baidi ɡɯbaŋ dʰɯn very less/a.little/more person-PL=GEN.LOC=COR this like much rich sompʰotʰi tʰa-jɯ asset stay-HAB ‘Only less/a.little/more people have this kind of riches.’ [Constructed] (63b) be kʰmani=kʰɯo pʰɯ-zɯb-nɯ nɯŋ=ni akʰai=jao zɯbɯd this work=ACC caus-finish-INF 2.SG=GEN hand=LOC very kom/ese/burza som=lo=sɯi less/a.little/more time=REST=CS ‘You have very less/little/more time to finish this task.’ [Constructed] Complex Boolean expressions are of the following forms, as in (64). The compound word ese-tʰar-bla=bɯ ‘little-for.sure-COND=ADD’ expresses at least, while baŋsin-tʰar=bla=bɯ ‘more-for.sure-COND=ADD’ means at most. The example in (64a) is an instance of a D-quantifier, while (64b) is an instance of an A-quantifier. (64a) ese-tʰar-bla=bɯ sa-zi=ni kʰom arɯ a.little-for.sure-COND=ADD CLF:human-ten=GEN less and baŋsin-tʰar-bla=bɯ sa-nɯi-zi=ni bara za-ja more-for.sure-COND=ADD CLF:human-two-ten=GEN more happen-NEG ‘There won’t be fewer than ten at least and more than twenty at most.’ [Constructed] (64b) ese-tʰar-bla=bɯ san-ba=ni kʰom arɯ a.little-for.sure-COND=ADD CLF:day-five=GEN less and baŋsin-tʰar-bla=bɯ san-zi=ni bara za-ja more-for.sure-COND=ADD CLF:day-ten=GEN more happen-NEG ‘It won’t be less than five days at least and more than ten days at most.’ [Constructed] 3.7 Multiple Quantifiers This subsection discusses Multiple D-quantifiers (two different kinds) that occur adjacently. 3.7.1 Existential [D] Quantifiers Two different kinds of D-quantifiers are used adjacently in a noun phrase to provide a specific meaning. The quantifiers include maba ‘what=INDEF’ and mɯn-se ‘CLF:generic-one’ refer to a particular resolution (65a), ma=ba ‘what=INDEF’ and ma-kʰa-se ‘what-some-one’ refer to some unspecific work (65b), sɯr=ba ‘who= INDEF’ and sa-se=ja ‘CLF:human-one=NOM’ refer to a specific person (65c), and ցɯbaŋ ‘many’ and ma-kʰa-se ‘what-some-one’ refer to many unspecific rules (65d). In all these examples, the following quantifiers provide the basic meaning. In (65a), the sequence maba mɯn-se ‘what=INDEF CLF:generic-one’ constitutes two quantifiers in which the initial existential quantifier maba introduces a non-specific noun bitʰaŋkʰi ‘resolution’, while the classifier:type-numeral mɯnse, bearing focus, restrict the domain to a single salient noun bitʰaŋkʰi ‘resolution’. This pattern holds for the rest of the examples in (65), in which the latter quantifiers bear focus. (65a) horkʰab=nɯ ma=ba mɯn-se bitʰaŋkʰi da-la immediately=COR what=INDEF CLF:generic-one resolution NEG-take ‘Don’t take any one resolution immediately.’ [BdW13_A02] (65b) ma=ba ma-kʰa-se kʰamani doŋ-bao-ɯ what=INDEF what-some-one work exist-again-HAB ‘There exist some more works.’ [BdW13_ZC05] (65c) ցubun hari-pʰɯr=ni ցezer=ao sɯr=ba sa-se=ja other community-PL=GEN middle=LOC who= INDEF CLF:human-one=NOM ցɯbaŋ bizab lir-laŋ-dɯŋ many book write-take.away-REAL ‘In other communities, someone has already written down many books.’ [BdW13_F17] (65d) haba=ni siցaŋ ցɯbaŋ ma-kʰa-se pʰali-naŋ-ցɯo nem boro marriage=GEN before many what-some-one observe-need-AFF rule PN somaz=ao doŋ society=LOC exist ‘In Boro society, many rules exist that one must comply with before marriage.’ [BdW13_D26] 4 Comparative Quantifiers Simple comparatives in Bodo are formed as follows: the target of comparison (subject) takes the nominative case marker =ja ‘=NOM’; the standard of comparison (object) takes the standard marker, i.e., ablative case marker =nipʰrai ‘=ABL’; and the gradable quantifier ese ‘a.little’ takes the comparative marker =sin ‘CMPR’, as shown in (66). (66) ɡobla=ja tʰepʰa=nipʰrai ese=sin ɯŋkʰam za-jɯ PN=NOM PN=ABL a.little=CMPR rice eat-HAB ‘Gobla eats rice lesser to Thepha.’ [Constructed] The superlatives in Bodo are formed by attaching the ablative case marker =nipʰrai ‘=ABL’ to the standard of comparison boibɯ ‘all human’ or ɡasɯibɯ ‘all’ (universal quantifier) as shown in (67). Like comparatives, the target of comparison (subject) takes the nominative case marker =ja ‘=NOM’, and the gradable quantifier ese ‘a.little’ takes the comparative marker =sin ‘CMPR’, as shown in (67). (67) baɡo=wa boi-nipʰrai=bɯ ese=sin ɯŋkʰam za-jɯ PN=NOM all=ABL=ADD a.little=CMPR rice eat-HAB ‘Bago eats rice the least of all.’ [Constructed] In clausal comparisons, the standard marker =nipʰrai ‘=ABL’ is suffixed to the nominalized main verb of the embedded clause, as in (68). (68) baɡo=wa [ɡobla za-nai-nipʰrai] baŋ=sin ɯŋkʰam za-jɯ PN=NOM PN eat-NOMZ=ABL more=CMPR rice eat-HAB ‘Bago eats more rice than Gobla eats.’ [Constructed] 5 Summary This article has presented details about a wide range of Bodo quantifiers, including core and morphologically derived complex quantifiers, adopting Partee’s (1995) and Kenna’s (2017) A-type and D-type classification. D-expressions are primarily arguments of predicates, while the A-expressions are verbal affixes, pre-verbs, auxiliary verbs, or predicate modifiers (adverbs and PPs) (Keenan 2017:2). The article has extensively described the morphological compositions of core and morphologically derived complex quantifiers in Bodo. Existential quantifiers include Classifier:type-numeral [D/A], Classifier:type-how.much/many [D/A], Interrogative=Indefinite [D/A], and Non-classifier/Indefinite [D/A]. Universal quantifiers include Classifier:type-numeral [D/A], Classifier:type-each/every [D/A], Interrogative=Indefinite [A], Non-classifier/Indefinite quantifiers [D/A]. Proportional quantifiers include Classifier:type-numeral [D/A] and Classifier:cycle.of.action-numeral, while the negative polarity items include Classifier:type-numeral, Interrogative=Indefinite, and Non-classifier/Indefinite quantifiers. In addition, this paper also briefly discussed the morphemes and structures used for comparison in Bodo. Abbreviations 1: first person, 2: second person, 3: third person, ABL: ablative case, ACC: accusative case, ADD: additive, ADVZ: adverbializer, AFF: affirmative, ALL: allative, ASSOC: associative, CAUS: causative, CLF: classifier, CMPR: comparative, COND: condition, COR: corrective, CS: change of state, DAT: dative, FUT: future, GEN: genitive, HAB: habitual, HON: honorific, ILL: illative, INDEF: indefinite, INF: infinitive, INST: instrumental, LOC: locative, NEG: negative, NF: non-final, NNOMZ: negative nominalizer, NOM: nominative case, NOMZ: nominalizer, NP: noun phrase, NUM: numeral, PL: plural, PN: proper name, POSS: possessive, PP: preposition phrase, PRF: perfect, PROG: progressive, PST: past, Q: question, REC: reciprocal, RED: reduplication, REST: restrictive, REAL: realis, SEQ: sequence, SG: singular, TOP: topic References Bhattacharya, Pramod Chandra. 1977. A Descriptive Analysis of Bodo Language. Guwahati: Gauhati University Press. Boro, Krishna. 2021. 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Hardie, A. 2012. CQPweb - combining power, flexibility and usability in a corpus analysis tool. International Journal of Corpus Linguistics 17.3:380–409. https://cqpweb.lancs.ac.uk/ Hodgson, B. H. 1847. Essay the first: On the Kocch, Bódo and Dhimál tribes. J. Thomas. Keenan, Edward L. 2017. The Quantifier Questionnaire. In Denis Paperno & Edward L. Keenan, Handbook of Quantifiers in Natural Language: Volume II, 1–20. Dordrecht: Springer. Partee, Barbara H. 1995. Quantificational structures and compositionality. In Emmon Bach et al., Quantification in natural languages, 541–601. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. Reviewed: Received 1 January 2025, revised text accepted 20 February 2026, published 1 May 2026 Editors: Editor-In-Chief Dr Mark Alves | Managing Eds. Dr Paul Sidwell, Dr Sigrid Lew, Dr Mathias Jenny Sansuma BRAHMA | Quantification in Bodo | JSEALS 19.1 (2026) 3 Copyright vested in the author; Creative Commons Attribution License