Pluraliformaali

Pluraliformaali is a theoretical morphophonological pattern describing plural formation that combines two parallel processes: an internal vowel alternation within the noun stem and the addition of an affixal plural marker. The term, coined in contemporary linguistic theory and used in discussions of constructed languages, serves to analyze systems where both stem modification and suffixation participate in marking plurality.

Two allomorphs are commonly described under pluraliformaali. The first is a plain plural formed by attaching the plural suffix -ali to the stem, yielding forms such as balali from bal. The second is an altered plural in which the stem vowel changes before the same suffix is added, producing belali from bal. Similar patterns are described for other stems, with variation in which nouns admit both forms and under what conditions the alternation occurs.

Function and distribution: In typical analyses, the vowel-altered form can carry pragmatic distinctions or be used in specific discourse contexts, while the plain -ali plural marks general plurality. The typological status of pluraliformaali is unsettled; it is primarily a theoretical construct and is more commonly illustrated in conlangs, experimental grammars, or hypothetical inventories than in well-attested natural languages.

Example in a hypothetical language Valari: the stem bal yields balali for the general plural and belali for a plural indicating a subgroup or collective. Likewise tor yields torali and terali. These pairs show how a single noun class can realize plurality through dual morphophonological pathways. See also plural morphology, vowel harmony, and affixation in morphology.