II. Number is determined
- (a) by context.
Bawa sahaya tongkat Bring me a walking-stick. (If more than the usual one stick is required, it must be expressed in the ways described in the next sections). Tuan mau makan buah? Do you wish to eat fruit, sir? Tuan suka barang perak? You are fond of silver-ware, sir? Orang China suka main judi Chinese love gambling. Datang orang Jawa minta kerja tukang kebun A Javanese came asking for a gardener's job. Sahaya mau běli rokok I want to buy (native) cigarettes. Sahaya mau isap rokok I want to smoke a cigarette.
- (b) By numerals and numerals plus coefficients (p. 29) and words like banyak, sěmua, sadikit—for the syntax of these words vide p. 26.
Datang banyak orang Jawa minta kerja kebun There came a number of Javanese asking for estate work. Bĕri sahaya buah manggis sadikit Give me a few mangosteens. Semua tuan suka barang perak All European gentlemen like silver-ware: Bĕri rokok sa-batang Give me a cigarette.
- (c) By reduplication to form a plural with variety in it.
Lĕmbu-lĕmbu different kinds of cattle.
Bunga-bunga different kinds of flowers.
Tuan-tuan gentlemen of various degree.
Barang-barang various sorts of goods.
It is to be noted that very many words like darah blood, nasi cookea rice, kaki leg, jantong heart, and so on, descriptive of things of which there is no patent variety, are never reduplicated.
III. Case is determined by context and by prepositions. One noun following another is in the genitive.
Bawa pisau fetch a knife: pisau běsi a knife of steel. Kepala ular the head of a snake. Běri sahaya, or bĕri (ka-) pada sahaya give to me. Pulang rumah, pulang ka-rumah return to one's home. Bangun tidor, bangun daripada tidor rise from sleep. Potong dengan parang cut with a
