The 'mighty-a'

The name 'mighty-a' -- sounding like an irony -- refers to all of the dummy morphemes transcribed with the letter 'a' constantly pronounced like that in the Englsih word 'father' with various tones for various functions. They are called dummy morphemes* because they have literally no meaning by themselves. Each of these morphemes is classified by its position in a construction and its function depends on the type of construction for which it is used as demonstrated in what follows.

*The other two morphemes [ya\"] (or) and [ma\-] (also), such as in:
1.[si_/dta-bpO=(-).e'(=)//ya=(+)\si_/tza-bO".e'] 'a man or a woman?' and
2.[tsi(E)~-hun_laNg+ ma_\si_/si(E)K_sai_laNg+] 'a stranger as well as an acquaintance',
may sometimes be heard in rapid speech as [,a\"] and [,a\-]; but they certainly don't belong to the 'mighty-a'.

(A) As a prefix [a\=]

This prefix is used for labelling senior kin terms or names of familiar people. The base words are typically monosyllabic. Examples:

For kin terms:

[a-\tzO"] great-grandfather/grandmother; [a-\qONg=(-)] grandfather; [a-\ma"] grandmother;
[a-\dtya=(-)]/[a-\bpa=(+)] father; [a-\bu"] mother; [a-\bpeQ-] father's elder brother;
[a-\m"] wife of [a-\bpeQ-]; [a-\tziK-] father's younger brother; [a-\tzim"] wife of
[a-\tziK-]; [a-\qO=(-)] father's sister; [a-\i+] mother's sister; [a-\qu-] mother's
brother; [a-\qim-] wife of [a-\qu-]; [a-\hya~=(-)] elder brother; [a-\so"] wife of
[a-\hya~=(-)]; [a-\tze(i)"] elder sister.

For naming familiar persons:

Feminine names: [a-\bi"]; [a-\i(E)Ng=]; [a-\gyOK=(+/-)]; [a-\qyOK-]; [a-\to+].
Masculine names: [a-\dtyONg=]; [a-\hyONg+]; [a-\syONg+]; [a-\tsyu-]
Nicknames: [a-\qau"] lit. dog; [a-san"|e'] lit. skinny; [a-swa~=|e'(=)] a person from
China (alias [dtNg-(_)swa~=(-)]) as distinguished from a native Taiwanese.

Usually the last syllable in a disyllabic name is chosen for use. The feminine names and masculine names mentioned above are among the conventionalized. The form alone does'nt tell you which gender a name belongs to.

The use of a backslash after the prefix is optional. Other words beginning with the same syllable, such as [a-pen'] (a polysyllabic morpheme from immitation of soud for 'opium') and [a-(/y)en+] (lit. secondary lead = zinc), are readily recognizable by people who know these words.

(B) As a suffix -[a"]

In a construction with this suffix, any of th final consonants of -[m], -[n], -[Ng], -[K], -[p], and -[t] appearing in the preceding syllalble tends to be shared by the suffix as sonant initial consonant.

This suffix is quite frequently used, among other things, for naming junior relatives or labelling nouns* cosmetically or non-cosmetically**. Examples:

*All words in Hoyloy are not inflectional. That is to say, in the case of a noun it can mean either singular or plural as interpreted in the context. The singular form in English is used in this article for translation of a Hoyloy noun.

**The two words [gin=(+)a"] (kid) and [sun-a"] (wife's/huband's brother's/sisters's daughter) deserve some extra attention here. For the word [gin=(+)a"], if we were to treat the last syllable as a suffix we would be at a loss trying to find the base used elsewhere. For the word [sun-a"] the suffix changes the meaning of base [sun-] (grandson/granddaughter). However, some people use the form of either [sun=] or [sun-a"] when referring to 'grandson/granddaughter' and so contextual interpretation becomes necessary for telling the correct meaning.

For junior kin terms:

[syo=(+)dti_a"]/[sy0=(+)dti-] younger brother; [syo=(+)m(/w)e-a"]/[syo=(+)m(/w)e-]
younger sister;[syo=(+)tzi(E)K=a"]/[sy0=(+)tzi(E)K-] husband's younger brother;
[qu_a"] wife's younger brother; [syo=(+)qO-a"]/[syo=(+)qO=(-)] husband's younger
sister; [i-(_)a"] wife's younger sister; [qim_a"] one's own or wife's younger brother's
wife; [syo=(+)tzim=(+)a"] husband's younger brother's wife; [gwe_si(E)Ng-a"]
sister's son/daughter*; [dtit_a"] brother's son/daughter; [sun-a"] husband's/wife's
brother's/sisters's son/daughter.

*The modifier [dta-bpO=(-)] (man) or [tza-bo"] (woman) may be used to distinguish son or daughter

Cosmetic versus non-cusmetic suffix for common nouns

The suffix is cosmetic if it may be omitted. In the sentence,
[tsyu_a=(+)dti(E)Ng" u_/sa~-tzyaQ"/tzyau=(+)a"]
'there are three birds in the three',
the unsuffixed noun [tzyau"] (birds) may be used instead, though the disyllabic form is generally preferred. But in the sentence,
[dtoQ"a"dti(E)Ng" u_/tzit_lyap_/tNg-(_)a"] 'there is a piece of candy on the table',
the suffix in [tNg-(_)a"] is non-cosmetic and may not be omitted, though the morpheme [tNg+] without the suffix is found in use with the construction of [dtaNg-qwe-tNg+] for some candy made from a melon-like fruit. In other instances an unsuffixed word has a different meaning.

Examples of cosmetic construction:

[dtoQ"a"] a table/desk; [dti(E)K=a"] bamboo; [tsau=(+)a"] grass; [hj-(_)a"] fish;
[hyam-tzyo-a"] pepper; [na=(+)bpat_a"] guava; [tzyoQ_tau-(_)a"] a stone.

In some examples of consmetic construction this suffix serves as a diminutive, although a diminutive may or may not be disparaging depending on whether the expression is friendly or not.

[a-gyOK_a"] a feminine given name; [sin-nyu-(_)a"] a bride; [tO=(+)hwi=(+)a"]
a robber/bandit

Examples of non-comsmetic construction:

1. For some common nouns:

[li=a"] plum; [qam_a"] tangerine; [bpat_a"] guava; [aNg-a"] an idol;
[tsi(E)~-ti-(_)a"] some kind of bird.

2. For denoting some persons:

[dtOK=pi~_a"]/[a-dtOK=a"] lit. 'nose sticking out prominently' for a Westerner
(humorous); [Rit_bpun=(+)a"]/[a-bpun=(+)a"] a Japanese; [han-tzj-(_)a"] a native
Taiwanese (lit. a yam); [ONg_lOK_a"] a travelling quack; [hwan"a"] a peddler;
[tsit=a"] a girlfriend (humorous, probably related to 'chick'); [sam-tsit=a"] a pimp/
procurer/brothel keeper; [sut_a"] a cheater.

3. For denoting some occupations (suffixed to verbs -- usually disparaging):

[tzo(/e)"hi"a"] an actor/actress (disparaging); [bpo"be=(+)a"] formerly an express
courier now a secret reporter (humorous); [tiQ"tau-(_)a"] a barber.

4. For denoting some tools (suffixed to verbs):

[qi"a"] a saw; [tsit=a"]/[tzyoQ_tsit=a"] a rubber (eraser); [tzNg"a"] a drill;
[tzen=(+)a"] a cutter; [tat=a"] a stopper (for closing a bottle); [bi=(+)qa=(+)a"] a
rice mill; [tzyu=(+)kwi-a"] a bottle opener; [hONg-qwan"a"] a bicycle pump;
[bpONg_a"] a weighing scale; [tsin"a"] a steelyard

Juxtaposition
Sometimes we may get a generalized concept through juxtaposing names of similar objects. Names of such objects are often suffixed with a 'mighty-a' for this purpose. Examples:

[qONg-a=(+)ma=(+)a"]/[qONg-ma"] ancesters; [q(/w)e-a=(+)tzyau=(+)a"] poultry;
[ni-(_)a=tz(/w)e"a"] any festival occassion.

For adjectives/adverbs

1. Examples of cosmetic construction:

[tzit_dtaQ"qu=(+)a"]/[tzit_dtaQ"qu"] a little while; [sa~-si"/qaNg-a"] about
three or four days cf [sa~-si"/qaNg=] three or four days.

2. Examples of non-cosmetic construction:

[tzit_tswi"a"] lit. a mouthful-like = a little bit; [tzit=kO-de"a"] around here;
[dtam_bpo_a"] some (quantity).

(C) As an infix -[a\"]

This infix when used in a construction of noun connects two parts symmetrically or asymmetrically. Symmetrical constructions are usually cosmetic and quite restricted.

Examples of symmetrical construction:

[aNg-a=(+)bO"]/[aNg-bO"] husband and wife; [sa~-a=(+)kO']/[sa~-kO'] lit. upper
garments and trousers = clothes; [bpe_a=(+)q(/y)a~"] father and son.

Examples of asymmetrical construction fall into two categories.

1. For naming places (proper nouns):

[swa~-a=(+)ka=(-)] (lit. at the foot of a mountain); [qyo-(_)a=(+)tau+] (lit. in front
of a bridge); [lun-a=(+)b(/w)e"] (lit. at the end of a sandy hill).

2. For formation of common nouns:

[qin-a=(+)Rit=(+/-)] today; [min-a=(+)tzai'] tomorrow; [min-a=(+)tza=,i"] tomorrow
morning; [bpai-(_)a=(+)qut-] a rib (but [bpai-(_)qut-] usually refers to pork steak);
[dtoQ"a=(+)ka=(-)] under the table; [hwan-a=(+)h(/w)e"] lit. barbarian's fire = match.
[qam=(+)a=(+)dtyam']* a grocer's store.

*At a Taiwanese grocer's in the old days containers called [qam=(+)a"] or [qam=(+)bO+] (handleless shallow baskets made of thin strips of bamboo in flanged circular shape) were used for holding rice, dough, beans and various groceries for sale.

This infix may also serve for some syntactic functions. Examples:

For formation of some modifiers of verb/predicative adjective:

[ban_ban_a=(+)\qONg"] talk slowly; [gONg_gONg_a=(+)\dtan"] keep waiting
foolishly; [bput=tzi=(+)a=(+)\qO=(+)tzwi=] quite charming; [ho=(+)le=(+)a=(+)\kwa~']
look carefully;

For insertion inside a reduplication of a trisyllabic predicative adjective:

[qyam-(_)sNg-dti~-a=(+)\qyam-(_)sNg-dti~=]; 'tasting slightly salty as well as sour and
sweet'; [u_laNg-(_)en-(_)a=(+)\u_laNg-(_)en+] 'quite a likeable person'.

(D) As an enclitic [a'(=/-)]

As part of a syntactic construction the 'mighty-a' serves as an enclitic element in a vocative, as a final particle, or as an epenthetic syllable inside a reduplication. Examples:

In a vocative:

[a-\gyOK=(+/-)|a' gau_tza"] 'hi [a-\gyOK=(+/-)] good morning';
[a-\bu"|a' qwa" dtNg"|lai'a'] 'mum, I am home'.

[mNg+ i=(+)qi(E)Ng-\qw(/a)i=|ki'lai'a'] 'the door has been closed';
[mNg+ qo"\paQ"kwi=|a'(=)] 'the door has been opened again'.

[dtip,b(/w)eQ"\tsut=hwat-|a'//li" kaQ"qin" lai+ a:=]
'Come over quick. (We) will be hitting the road pretty soon'.

[dtan"|a' dtan"//dtan=(+)qau"/sa~-qi(E)~-bpwa~"mi(E)+] 'kept waiting even as the
midnight came';
[yo+|a' yo+//syoQ-|a' syoQ-] usual words murmured in rocking a baby to sleep or
to calm down.

-- Options for pronunciation guidance:syllabic tone patterns | vowels | consonants | practical symbols

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