Miskito Grammar - Noun Phrase - Determiners and Quantifiers

• ba definite article
• na proximal definite article
• kum indefinite article
• kumkum plural indefinite article

• naha 'this'
• baha 'that'
• naura 'close by'
• bukra 'over there'

• ani 'which'
• dia 'what'

• kumkum 'some'
• uya, ailal, manis 'many'
• wala 'other'
• sut 'all'
• an 'how many'

• kum 'one'
• wâl 'two'
• yumhpa 'three'
• walhwal 'four'
• matsip 'five'

The demonstratives naha, baha, naura, bukra and the interrogative determiners ani and dia precede the noun they determine and require the ligature (see below).

• naha araska 'this horse'
• baha araska 'that horse'
• ani araska? 'which horse?'

The indefinite article and most quantifiers follow the noun and do not require a ligature.

• aras kum 'one horse, a horse'
• aras kumkum 'some horses'
• aras an? 'how many horses?'
• aras yumhpa 'three horses'

The general article ba and the proximal article na stand at the end of the noun phrase and require no ligature. The proximal article expresses proximity.

• aras ba 'the horse'
• wâl na 'these two'
• papiki atkan araska na 'this horse that my father bought'

Optionally the article may be combined with other determiners or quantifiers, and with the ligature (which seems to convey a greater degree of definiteness).

• naha araska na 'this horse'
• baha araska ba 'that horse'
• aras kum ba 'the one horse'
• araska ba 'the horse in question, the horse which...'

The article is even used sometimes with pronouns, although not required.

• Witin ba patkira sa. 'He is guilty.'