Singular-Dual-Plural-Überplural

 

That said, minalbili are “two eyes”

and yoorilbeli are “two ears”.

 

Linguists call -lbili a  “dual” (TWO) suffix.

 

It is different from the Barngarla suffix -ri,

which creates the plural just like English -s.

 

So:

Mina “eye”

Minalbili “2 eyes”

Minari “eyes”

Minailyarana “heaps of eyes”

 

Barngarla:

Yoora “man”

Yooralbili “2 men”

Yoorari “men”

Yoorailyarana “heaps of men”

 

Revived Hebrew (which was a sleeping beauty

for 1750 years) also has a “dual”:

 

Shaa “hour”

Shaatayim “2 hours”

Shaot “hours”