Pluralization
In the Nahuatl Language you only pluralize animate objects and inanimate objects that are metaphorically animate.
- Nouns ending with -tl (-h, -meh)
One option is -h, which can be difficult because documents from the sixteenth and seventeenth century do not always include this suffix at the end of a word. Another option is -meh.
Singular Plural
Cihuatl (she is a woman) Cihuah (They are women)
Titlacatl (you are a human) Titlacameh (We are humans)
Mexicatl (He is from Mexico) Mexicah (They are from Mexico)
- Nouns ending in -tli (-tin, -meh)
Nouns ending with the absolutive suffix -tli will lose the suffix and take a -tin. Alternatively, these nouns could take a -meh. An important difference between nouns that end in -tli and thouse that in in -tl is that those that end in -tli will typically have a consonant left exposed, and will never take just an -h.
Singular Plural
Oquictli (he is a man) Oquichtin (they are men)
Nitahtli (I am a father) Titahmeh (we are fathers)
Tinantli (you are a mother) Tinantmeh (we are mothers)
- Nouns ending in -li the plural will be -tin
This ending is fairly simple and straightforward. The -li suffix falls off, and the noun will take a -tin.
Singular Plural
Machehualli Macehualtin
- The -in suffix will be pluralized with –meh, and –tin
Like the -tli suffix, the -in suffix will take a -meh or -tin when you are pluralizing.
Singular Plural
- Possessed nouns are pluralized with -huan.
As you will recall, when a noun is possessed, it loses its absolutive suffix irrespective of pluralization. When a possessed noun is pluralized, it will be expressed with a -huan, regardless of its original absolutive suffix.
Singular Plural
Nocihuauh Nocihuahuan (my women)
Mochichi Mochichihuan (your dogs)
Imacehual Imacehualhuan (her subjects)