Sdanniskar morphology
Sdannískar is a heavily inflecting language. Nouns inflect for five cases in two numbers, subdivided into the characteristic Germanic "strong" and "weak classes". Verbs conjugate for three persons and two numbers in two tenses and three moods. Like other Germanic languages, Sdannískar has a number of classes of "strong" verbs (those with internal ablaut) similar to those of German, for example. Adjectives have both "strong" and "weak" declensions also, and have a total of sixty inflections (though some of these are the same, e.g. the weak feminine nominative and instrumental singulars).
Strong Declension Patterns
Strong nouns of the following stems are declined as follows:
Masculine a-stems
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nom | -ar | -os |
Gen | -er | -om |
Dat | -a | -am |
Acc | -a | -an |
Ins | *-i | -am |
The instrumental singular form causes i-umlaut (see above). Sample noun: wólfar, wólfer, sa (m., wolf)
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nom | wólf-ar | wólf-os |
Gen | wólf-er | wólf-om |
Dat | wólf-a | wólf-am |
Acc | wólf-a | wólf-an |
Ins | wǿlf-i | wólf-am |
Masculine i-stems
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nom | *-ir | *-ir |
Gen | *-isa | -ejon |
Dat | -e | *-i |
Acc | *-in | *-in |
Ins | *-i | *-i |
Each form marked with an asterix causes i-umlaut. Sample noun: wýrmir, wýrmisa, sa (m., worm)
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nom | wýrm-ir | wýrm-ir |
Gen | wýrm-isa | wúrm-ejon |
Dat | wúrm-e | wýrm-i |
Acc | wýrm-in | wýrm-in |
Ins | wýrm-i | wýrm-i |
Masculine u-stems
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nom | -u | *-iwir |
Gen | -ør | -uwon |
Dat | -æ | *-ymir |
Acc | -un | -un |
Ins | -æ | *-ymir |
Each form marked with an asterix causes i-umlaut. Sample noun: gávlu, gávlør, sa (m., gable)
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nom | gávl-u | gǽvliwir |
Gen | gávl-ør | gávl-uwon |
Dat | gávl-æ | gǽvl-ymir |
Acc | gávl-un | gávl-un |
Ins | gávl-æ | gǽvl-ymir |
Neuter a-stems
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nom | -am | -u |
Gen | -er | -om |
Dat | -a | -am |
Acc | -am | -u |
Ins | *-i | -am |
The instrumental singular form causes i-umlaut. Sample noun: hósam, hóser, þat (n., house)
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nom | hós-am | hós-u |
Gen | hós-er | hós-om |
Dat | hós-a | hós-am |
Acc | hós-am | hós-u |
Ins | hǿs-i | hós-am |
Neuter r-stems
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nom | -ar | -aru |
Gen | -ares | -arom |
Dat | -ara | -aram |
Acc | -ar | -aru |
Ins | -ara | -aram |
Sample Noun: gǽtar, gǽtares, þat (n., goat)
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nom | gǽt-ar | gǽt-aru |
Gen | gǽt-ares | gǽt-arom |
Dat | gǽt-ara | gǽt-aram |
Acc | gǽt-ar | gǽt-aru |
Ins | gǽt-ara | gǽt-aram |
Feminine u-stems
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nom | -u | -or |
Gen | -or | -om |
Dat | -u | -om |
Acc | -o | -on |
Ins | -u | -om |
Sample noun: hándu, hándor, so (f., hand)
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nom | hánd-u | hánd-or |
Gen | hánd-or | hánd-om |
Dat | hánd-u | hánd-om |
Acc | hánd-o | hánd-on |
Ins | hánd-u | hánd-om |
Weak Declension Patterns
Weak nouns of the following declension patterns are declined as follows:
Masculine a-stems
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nom | -ar | -æ |
Gen | -er | -æno |
Dat | -esma | -æmir |
Acc | -ano | -an |
Ins | -o | -æmir |
Sample noun: Gúþar, Gúþer, sa (m., Goth, a member of the East Germanic tribe)
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nom | Gúþ-ar | Gúþ-æ |
Gen | Gúþ-er | Gúþ-æno |
Dat | Gúþ-esma | Gúþ-æmir |
Acc | Gúþ-ano | Gúþ-an |
Ins | Gúþo | Gúþ-æmir |
Feminine o-stems
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nom | -o | -or |
Gen | -esor | -æro |
Dat | -æ | -æmir |
Acc | -o | -or |
Ins | -æ | -æmir |
Sample noun: dǿro, dǿresor, so (f., door)
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nom | dǿr-o | dǿr-or |
Gen | dǿr-esor | dǿr-æro |
Dat | dǿr-æ | dǿr-æmir |
Acc | dǿr-o | dǿr-or |
Ins | dǿr-æ | dǿr-æmir |
Neuter a-stems
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nom | -a | -o |
Gen | -er | -æro |
Dat | -esma | -æmir |
Acc | -a | -o |
Ins | -o | -æmir |
Sample noun: hǽrta, hǽrter, þat (n., heart)
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nom | hǽrt-a | hǽrt-o |
Gen | hǽrt-er | hǽrt-æro |
Dat | hǽrt-esma | hǽrt-æmir |
Acc | hǽrt-a | hǽrt-o |
Ins | hǽrt-o | hǽrt-æmir |
Strong Verb Conjugation
Strong verbs have three sets of present indicative conjugation endings depending on their infinitive ending, but otherwise share the same endings for each tense.
Present Indicative Conjugation
The present indicative is derived from first principal part. The present indicative conjugation of regular strong verbs is as follows:
-an verbs | -en verbs | -on verbs | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Person | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
1st | -u | -am | -u | -am | -u | -om |
2nd | -ar | -aþ | -ær | -æþ | -or | -oþ |
3rd | -aþ | -and | -æþ | -and | -oþ | -ond |
Preterite Indicative Conjugation
The singular forms of the preterite indicative are derived from the second principal part and the plural forms from the third. The preterite indicative conjugation of all regular strong verbs is as follows:
Person | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
1st | -(-) | -um |
2nd | *-t | -uþ |
3rd | -(-) | -un |
*The stem of a verb assimilates voicing to that second person singular ending, e.g. *hǽvt > hǽft.
Present Subjunctive Conjugation
The present subjunctive of strong verbs is derived from the first principal part. The preterite indicative conjugation of all regular strong verbs is as follows:
Person | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
1st | -æ | -æm |
2nd | -ær | -æþ |
3rd | -æþ | -ænd |
Preterite Subjunctive Conjugation
The preterite subjunctive of strong verbs is derived from the third principal parts. The preterite subjunctive conjugation of all regular strong verbs is as follows:
Person | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
1st | -(-) | -um |
2nd | *-t | -uþ |
3rd | -(-) | -un |
*This form assimilates voicing as the preterite indicative.
Imperative Conjugation
The imperative of strong verbs has only two forms: second person singular and second person plural. It is derived from the first principal part. The imperative conjugation of all regular strong verbs is as follows:
Person | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
2nd | -a | -aþ |
Present Participle and Gerund
The present participle declines as a normal weak adjective, and the gerund as a strong masculine a-stem noun. They are derived by suffixing the following to the first principle part:
Present Participle | Gerund | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
-an | -en | -on | -an | -en | -on |
-ándon | -ǽndon | -óndon | -ánþar | -ǽnþar | -ónþar |
Weak Verb Conjugation
Weak verbs, which typically, though not always, end in -an, share the same endings for every tense. Regular weak verbs also have invariable stems.
Present Indicative Conjugation
The present indicative conjugation of all regular weak verbs is as follows:
Person | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
1st | -e | -em |
2nd | -er | -eþ |
3rd | -eþ | -end |
Preterite Indicative Conjugation
The preterite indicative conjugation of all regular weak verbs is as follows:
Person | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
1st | -ed | -edum |
2nd | -ett | -eduþ |
3rd | -ed | -edun |
Present Subjunctive Conjugation
The present subjunctive conjugation of all regular weak verbs is as follows:
Person | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
1st | -i | -im |
2nd | -ir | -iþ |
3rd | -iþ | -ind |
Preterite Subjunctive Conjugation
The preterite subjunctive conjugation of all regular weak verbs is as follows:
Person | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
1st | -id | -idum |
2nd | -itt | -iduþ |
3rd | -id | -idun |
Imperative Conjugation
The imperative conjugation of all regular weak verbs is as follows:
Person | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
2nd | -a | -aþ |
Present Participle and Gerund
The present participle ( which declines as a regular weak adjective) and the gerund (which declines as a strong masculine a-stem noun) are derived by suffixing the following:
Present Participle | Gerund |
---|---|
-éndon | -énþar |
Irregular Verb Conjugation
The most common irregular verbs in Svannískar are wésan "to be" and dón "to do". Their paradigms are as follows.
Wésan
Indicative | Subjunctive | Imperative | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Present | Preterite | Present | Preterite | Imperative | |
1Ps | ím | wás | ým | wór | (-) |
2Ps | ís | wást | ýs | wórt | bý |
3Ps | íst | wás | ýst | wór | (-) |
1Pp | ésumes | wórum | ésymes | wórum | (-) |
2Pp | ésuþ | wóruþ | ésyþ | wóruþ | býþ |
3Pp | sínd | wórun | sýnd | wórun | (-) |
Dón
Indicative | Subjunctive | Imperative | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Present | Preterite | Present | Preterite | Imperative | |
1Ps | dó | díde | dǿ | dýde | (-) |
2Ps | dós | dídes | dǿs | dýdes | dó |
3Ps | dóst | dídeþ | dǿst | dýdeþ | (-) |
1Pp | dóm | dídem | dǿm | dýdem | (-) |
2Pp | dóþ | dídeþ | dǿþ | dýdeþ | dóþ |
3Pp | dónd | dídend | dǿnd | dýdend | (-) |
Háven
Indicative | Subjunctive | Imperative | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Present | Preterite | Present | Preterite | Imperative | |
1Ps | hávu | hád | hávæ | hǽd | (-) |
2Ps | hávæs | hátt | hávæs | hǽtt | háva |
3Ps | hávæþ | hád | hávæþ | hǽd | (-) |
1Pp | hávam | hádum | hávæm | hǽdum | (-) |
2Pp | hávæþ | háduþ | hávæþ | hǽduþ | hávaþ |
3Pp | hávand | hádun | hávænd | hǽdun | (-) |
Pronominal Morphology
Svannískar has three personal (or inanimate) pronouns, all of which have irregular non-nomiantive forms, though they do often follow patterns in these. However, only the third person pronoun sa has instrumental case forms.
First Person Pronoun
The first person pronoun stands for the person(s) speaking. It is declined as follows:
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nom | ik | wir |
Gen | min | únser |
Dat | me | uns |
Acc | mik | uns |
Second Person Pronoun
The second person pronoun stands for the person(s) being addressed by the speaker. It is declined as follows:
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nom | þu | jur |
Gen | þin | ýwer |
Dat | þe | yw |
Acc | þik | yw |
Third Person Pronoun
The third person pronoun stands for a person or thing spoken of by the speaker. Sa and its forms describe nouns masculine in gender, so and its forms things feminine, and þat and its forms things neuter.
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Case | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
Nom | sa | þæ | so | þor | þat | þo |
Gen | þes | þéro | þéror | þǽro | þes | þéro |
Dat | þésmo | þǽmir | þéræ | þǽmir | þésmo | þǽmir |
Acc | þen | þan | þo | þor | þat | þo |
Ins | þy | þǽmir | þéræ | þǽmir | þy | þǽmir |
Sa as Demonstrative
Technically speaking, sa, so, þat is a demonstrative adjective/pronoun, equivalent to English "this", "that", or "yon". It is a cognate to Old English se, Gothic sa.
Sa as Article
Sa, ever useful, has yet another use as the definite article. Sa and its forms may be used prior to a noun to ascribe definiteness to it the cat, the dog, and so on.
Pronoun Use
Like French or English, pronouns in Svannískar are always be used, though this is by convention rather than necessity. In some particularly ancient texts, however, the pronouns are dropped, based on the assumption that the reader would be able to differentiate the verb forms (which one might suppose would be true today, but it remains convention to use pronouns nonetheless).
Adjectival Morphology
Adjectives in Svannískar decline just as nouns or pronouns do. However, rather than being divided into classes of weak or strong adjectives the way nouns are, adjectives sometimes decline weak, sometimes strong. Adjectives decline weak if:
- ...they follow sa used as an article.
- ...they are a numeric adjective (except ǽnar, "one").
- ...they are the second (or third, fourth, etc.) adjective in a noun phrase.
- ...they are a present participle.
- ...they follow a conjugated verb.
- ...they are a comparative ending in -íron
The following adjectives never decline weak:
- Past participles
- ǽnar, ǽno, ǽna
- Possessive pronouns
- Superlatives in -ístar.
Strong Adjective Pattern
The following are the declension endings for adjectives declining strong.
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Case | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
Nom | -ar | -æ | -o | -or | -a | -o |
Gen | -er | -æro | -ero | -æro | -er | -æro |
Dat | -esma | -æmir | -æ | -æmir | -esma | -æmir |
Acc | -ano | -an | -o | -or | -a | -o |
Ins | -o | -æmir | -æ | -æmir | -esma | -æmir |
Sample adjective: góðar, góðo, góða (good)
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Case | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
Nom | góð-ar | góð-æ | góð-o | góð-or | góð-a | góð-o |
Gen | góð-er | góð-æro | góð-ero | góð-æro | góð-er | góð-æro |
Dat | góð-esma | góð-æmir | góð-æ | góð-æmir | góð-esma | góð-æmir |
Acc | góð-ano | góð-an | góð-o | góð-or | góð-a | góð-o |
Ins | góð-o | góð-æmir | góð-æ | góð-æmir | góð-esma | góð-æmir |
Weak Adjective Pattern
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Case | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
Nom | -on | -an | -on | -on | -o | -onu |
Gen | *-in | -anam | -on | -onam | *-in | -onom |
Dat | *-in | -num | -on | -um | *-in | -um |
Acc | -anu | -anun | -onu | -onu | -o | -onu |
Ins | *-in | -num | -on | -um | *-in | -um |
Forms marked with asterixes cause i-umlaut. Sample adjective: góðar, góðo, góða (good)
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Case | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
Nom | góð-on | góð-an | góð-on | góð-on | góð-o | góð-onu |
Gen | gǿð-in | góð-anam | góð-on | góð-onam | gǿð-in | góð-onom |
Dat | gǿð-in | góð-num | góð-on | góð-um | gǿð-in | góð-um |
Acc | góð-anu | góð-anun | góð-onu | góð-onu | góð-o | góð-onu |
Ins | gǿð-in | góð-num | góð-on | góð-um | gǿð-in | góð-um |
Derivation
Some of the most common derivational suffixes in Svannískar:
- -dómar: -dom, denotes state or area (kyningdómar--kingdom)
- -árir: -er, denotes agent (havárir--possessor)
- -íron: -er, comparative of adjectives (brehtíron--brighter)
- -ístar: -est, superlative of adjectives (brehtístar--brightest)
- -fálðar: -fold, denotes multiplicity; forms collective nouns (kyningfálðar--kings (on the whole))
- -hǽdu: -hood, denotes state (kyninghǽdu--kingship)
- -ískar: -ish, -ic, denotes a language (Islandískar--Icelandic)
- -lǿsar: -less, denotes a lack (kyninglǿsar--kingless)
- -líkar: -like, denotes similarity (kyninglíkar--kingly, regal)
- -skápar: -ship, denotes state (kyningskápar--kingship)
- -súmar: -some, vague intensive (of adjectives)
- -tíġo: -ty, denotes state; vague intensive
- -áġar: -y, denotes similarity
- -le: -ly, denotes manner (of verb, applied to an adjective)