f. Expressions of indefinite quantity.
569. Object expressions are used (without aŋ, § [68]) to express indefinite objects (roughly speaking such as would lack the article the in English) or indefinite quantities of objects, when preceded by certain modifiers. These modifiers are the pretonic particle máy, expressing existence or forthcomingness (§ [252]), and 10the full words máy-roòn, equivalent with máy; walàʾ the negative of these; malakì great; maláon long; marámi much, many (§ [138]). The phrases so formed may be described as expressions of indefinite quantity. Beside the omission of aŋ before the object expression, they have the peculiarity that in certain constructions 15they express (without further accompaniments) the possessor of that designated: may súŋay there are horns or having horns, horned; máy-roo ŋ aklàt there are books or having a book, books; wala ŋ aklàt there are no books or without a book, having no books; malakì ŋ kagamitàn great usefulness, there is great use, or having 20great usefulness; maláo ŋ panahòn long time or taking a long time; marámi ŋ salapèʾ much money, there is much money or having much money; marámi ŋ kaybígan many friends, there are many friends or having many friends.
Máy expresses also approximateness (where the object expression 25is one of number): may ápat na pu ŋ paà about forty feet or having, measuring about forty feet.
70. An expression of indefinite quantity may, as a unit, stand in object construction; in this case the first three have possessive value, but not the others: aŋ máy sakìt the or a person having 30sickness, the or a sick person; aŋ máy-roo ŋ aklàt the (a) person who has a book or books; aŋ wala ŋ hiyàʾ the (a) shameless person; but: aŋ malakì ŋ báhay the, a large house; aŋ marámi ŋ bágay the many things.
71. Marámi may by itself stand in object construction; it 35then has the meaning: aŋ marámi the many, the crowd, the people, hoi polloi.
2. Subject and predicate.
72. Most sentences consist of a subject and a predicate, showing the construction of Sumùsúlat syà, Sya y sumùsúlat (§§ [53], [54]). Indeed, this goes farther than in English; many commands, 5for instance, have the subject-and-predicate structure: Sumúlat ka. Write thou, i. e. Write.
Nevertheless, much of the syntax is determined by the use of constructions which lack subject-and-predicate structure.
a. Non-predicative sentences.
1073. The sentences which lack subject-and-predicate structure are of two general types: (1) exclamatory, and (2) impersonal-anaphoric.