mpu-

Laefevian

Etymology

Grammaticalisation of adjective ampus (“favourite”) (now obsolete), from Proto-Laenkean *napoh(-ece)- (“resembling burning”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mpu-/ [mpu-]

Prefix

-mpu-

1. favourite

   niv (“dog”) → ompuniv (“my favourite dog”)

   iǧwe (“drink”) → impuiǧwe (“your favourite drink”)

   hris (“dog”) → jampuhris (“his/her favourite house”)

Usage notes

• This is a bound prefix: it must always combine a possessive prefix, producing the following forms:

Prefixed forms of -mpu-
possessor	singular	dual	plural
1st person	ompu-	þempu-	ampu-
2nd person	impu-	fimpu-	sômpu-
3rd person	jampu-	lumpu-	lampu-
reflexive	ympu-
impersonal	ampu-

• The impersonal form is used in conjunction with another possessive adjective, such as vômmenwa (“everyone's”), producing, for example, vômmenwa ampuniv “everyone's favourite dog”.

Derived terms

▶ Laefevian terms prefixed with mpu-