There are 17 classes for count nouns in Mufian, plus two extra classes, i.e. proper names and place names. Noun classes are expressed in noun suffixes, adjective suffixes, and verb prefixes. Although Southern Arapesh has more than a dozen noun classes, only four noun classes are determined by semantics, while the other noun classes are determined phonologically using the final root segment (a feature typical of the
Lower Sepik languages). The four semantically determined noun classes are: • class 16: male human referents • class 8: female human referents • class 5: human referents of unspecified sex (likely diminutive, since children are also included) • class 6: human referents of unspecified sex The membership of the other twelve classes is determined phonologically, by the final segment of the root, as in the
Lower Sepik languages. == External links ==