4 Classifiers

Section 4

Six **universal classifiers** are productive short-form head morphemes for compounding. Each assigns a compound to one of six ontological categories. **Positional disambiguation** — several classifier syllables share forms with domain/semantic particles. The rule is absolute:

### 4.1 Overview

Six **universal classifiers** are productive short-form head morphemes for compounding. Each assigns a compound to one of six ontological categories.

> **Rules:**
>
> - A classifier attaches as the **final element** of a compound.
> - No more than one classifier per compound; stacking is ungrammatical.
> - Classifiers follow all standard compounding rules (Modifier-Head, no phonological change, penultimate stress on the whole compound).
> - The resulting compound is **category-flexible by position**, like any root.

**Positional disambiguation** — several classifier syllables share forms with domain/semantic particles. The rule is absolute:

| Position             | Reading                     |
|----------------------|-----------------------------|
| Compound-**initial** | domain or semantic particle |
| Compound-**final**   | classifier                  |

Examples: `bi·son` = life + animal (domain-initial `bi`) vs. `son·bi` = sculpted animal figure (classifier-final `-bi`).

### 4.2 The Six Classifiers

| Classifier | Category   | Source atom | Core meaning                                             |
|------------|------------|-------------|----------------------------------------------------------|
| `-ma`      | Agent      | `mana`      | A person whose identity is defined by enacting a concept |
| `-ko`      | Locus      | `koma`      | A place whose identity is defined by hosting a concept   |
| `-re`      | Instrument | `reta`      | A tool or device that enables the enactment of a concept |