A given noun is either animate (A) or inanimate (I). Except for mass nouns and the dummy noun do, nouns are declined for number (singular and plural). All nouns are declined for case; the morphological cases are absolutive (Abs), ergative (Erg), dative (Dat), and genitive (Gen). There are 4 noun declensions.
The following table shows the endings for each combination of number and case, for each declension:
| Singular | Plural | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
| Abs | -0 | -s | -ho | -so | -Vs | |||
| Erg | -k | -ge | -ke | -hok | -sok | -Vske | ||
| Dat | -ri | -rri | -hori | -sori | -Vrri | |||
| Gen | -bo | -po | -spo | -hobo | -sobo | -Vspo | ||
| Singular | Plural | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
| Abs | daqpe | lortai | podek | sampax | daqpes | lortaiho | podekso | sampahis |
| Erg | daqpek | lortaige | podekke | sampaxke | daqpehok | lortaihok | podeksok | sampahiske |
| Dat | daqperi | lortairi | podekri | sampaxri | daqperri | lortaihori | podeksori | sampahirri |
| Gen | daqpebo | lortaibo | podekpo | sampaxpo | daqpespo | lortaihobo | podeksobo | sampahispo |
Certain nouns (N2) must have possessors, so they take possessive prefixes. See the next section for the pronominal tags and descriptions.
| 1S | 1XP | 1ND | 1NP | 2S | 2P | 3TS | 3TP | 3AS | 3AP | 3IS | 3IP | Rfx |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| se- | sen- | ma- | man- | ka- | kan- | 'e- | 'en- | da- | das- | i- | is- | ti- |
| Pos% | Pos# | Root | Sub# | Case | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N1 | (P) | (E/D/G) | |||
| 1/N/2/3T | (P) | N2 | (P) | (E/D/G) | possessor plural is n |
| 3A/3I | (P) | N2 | (P) | (E/D/G) | possessor plural is s |
| Rfx | N2 | (P) | (E/D/G) | ||
| N2 | (P) | (E/D/G) |
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
| 1S | 1st person, singular |
| 1ND | 1st person, dual, inclusive |
| 1NP | 1st person, plural, inclusive |
| 1XP | 1st person, plural, exclusive |
| 2S | 2nd person, singular |
| 2P | 2nd person, plural |
| 3TS | 3rd person, animate, topical, singular |
| 3TP | 3rd person, animate, topical, plural |
| 3AS | 3rd person, animate, other, singular |
| 3AP | 3rd person, animate, other, plural |
| 3IS | 3rd person, inanimate, singular |
| 3IP | 3rd person, inanimate, plural |
| Rfx | reflexive |
| Rsm | resumptive |
| CQA | interrogative, animate |
| CQI | interrogative, inanimate |
The local pronouns are those of the 1st and 2nd persons. The absolutive forms are used only before the oblique case markers.
| 1S | 1XP | 1ND | 1NP | 2S | 2P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abs | bi- | bis- | me- | mes- | go- | gos- |
| Erg | sek | senke | mak | manke | kak | kanke |
| Dat | seri | sendi | mari | mandi | kari | kansi |
| Gen | sebo | sempo | mabo | mampo | kabo | kampo |
The inanimate pronouns lack the ergative and dative cases. The absolutive forms of the animate pronouns are used only before the oblique case markers.
| 3TS | 3TP | 3AS | 3AP | 3IS | 3IP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abs | 'e- | 'es- | da- | das- | i | is |
| Erg | 'ek | 'enke | dak | danke | - | - |
| Dat | 'eri | 'endi | dari | dandi | - | - |
| Gen | 'ebo | 'espo | dabo | daspo | ibo | ispo |
The absolutive form of the reflexive pronoun is used only before the oblique case markers.
| Rfx | Rsm | CQA | CQI | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abs | ta- | no | qaa | qai |
| Erg | - | nok | qaage | - |
| Dat | - | nori | qaari | - |
| Gen | tabo | nobo | qappo | qaibo |
page started: 2013.Mar.30 Sat
current date: 2013.Apr.06 sat
content and form originated by qiihoskeh
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