Polymorphic conlang/Morphology

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Nouns

There are two genders of nouns, animate and inanimate. Gender is not marked, but does affect the noun morphology in other ways. The language is split-S, with animates being nominative-accusative, inanimates being ergative-absolute.

The basic form is {Deixis}+{Case1}+{Number}+Root+{Case2}+{Definiteness}, where anything in braces may be a null morpheme.

Deixis

this
that
yonder
what

For the first three, the noun must also be marked definite. For the last, it must be indefinite (unmarked).

Case

The marking of case comes in two parts, and depends on gender. The case system can be regarded as consisting of primary and secondary, active and stative cases.

Primary Cases

The primary cases of a noun are gender dependent.

Active case Stative Case
Animate Nominative Accusative
Root Root+
Inanimate Ergative Absolute
hu+Root Root

Secondary Active Cases

Secondary active cases are formed by adding a suffix to the primary active case.

Genitive -ti
Dative -un
Causative -ka
Locative -ir

Secondary Stative Cases

Secondary stative cases are formed by adding a prefix to the primary stative case.

Instrumental aw-
Allative pin-
xu-
ur-

Number

There are three numbers,

Singular
Dual/paucal huj-
Plural si-

The middle number indicates dual for animates or paucal for inanimates.

Definiteness

Indefinite nouns are unmarked. Definite nouns are marked with the suffix -arja

Verbs

The verb follows the following paradigm

{subject animacy}+{tense/aspect}+root+{mood}+{voice}+{object animacy}

Subject animacy

Unmarked for animate subjects, ta- for inanimate subjects


Tense and aspect

These are not orthogonal, so a single marker covers both.

Mood

Voice

Voice Marker Use
Active Subject and object have their usual roles.
Passive Animate subject is treated as object
Antipassive Inanimate object is treated as subject
Reflexive Subject acts upon itself

Object animacy

Unmarked for inanimate objects, -ajn for animate objects