Nouns in Vrkhazhian: Difference between revisions
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Vrkhazhian nouns are called ''' | Vrkhazhian nouns are called '''yanāza''' (singular '''yanas'''). They are declined for case, gender, and number. Vrkhazhian can be said to have two main noun classes or genders: animate and inanimate. Within the animate gender, there are three subgenders: the feminine, the masculine, and the neuter. Animate nouns are inflected for six cases (nominative, vocative, accusative, instrumental, genitive, and equative) while inanimate nouns are inflected for only four (absolutive, ergative/instrumental, genitive, equative). Lastly, all nouns regardless of gender are inflected for two grammatical numbers (singular and plural). The assignment of gender to nouns is mostly non-arbitrary and determined by common, though not exhaustive, sets of criteria. | ||
Nouns that are often feminine: | |||
*female humans, spirits, and deities | |||
*female domesticated animals | |||
*collective nouns involving people in general (i.e people belonging to countries, caravans) | |||
Nouns that are often masculine: | |||
*male humans, spirits, and deities | |||
*male domesticated animals | |||
*collective nouns involving people specifically in a military or aggressive context (i.e armies and violent mobs) | |||
Nouns that are often neuter: | |||
*children and young domesticated animals | |||
*wild animals | |||
*seemingly animate things like rivers, oceans, wind, and fire | |||
*body parts associated with movement such as arms, legs, eyes, and mouth | |||
*certain organs such as the heart | |||
Nouns that are often inanimate: | |||
*still-moving things like trees, mountains, and buildings | |||
*abstract concepts, including actions and states | |||
*etc. | |||
== Noun inflection == | == Noun inflection == | ||
Vrkhazhian nouns are declined for six cases. Cases are the forms and suffixes that nouns take when they occur in certain parts of a sentence. The seven cases are thus: | |||
*The nominative (NOM) case indicates the subject | *The nominative (NOM) case indicates the subject (doer) of a verb ("'''Henry''' runs to the store", "'''Henry''' sees Sam"). | ||
*The vocative (VOC) case indicates a direct addressee ("''' | *The vocative (VOC) case indicates a direct addressee ("Hey, '''you'''", "'''Father''', what do you see?"). | ||
*The accusative (ACC) case indicates the primary object of | *The accusative (ACC) case indicates the primary object (receiver/target) of a transitive verb ("Henry sees '''Sam'''", "Henry gave '''Sam''' a pencil"). | ||
*The | *The ergative (ERG) case indicates the instrument by which a verb is done or the secondary object of a ditransitive verb ("Henry gave Sam '''a pencil'''", "I wrote '''with a pen'''"). It also marks inanimate-gendered agents of transitive verbs. | ||
*The | *The genitive (GEN) case indicates that another noun is modified by the noun marked with this case and the marked noun having various roles such as possessor, origin, or source ("'''Sam's''' dog", "Men '''of Rome'''"). | ||
*The | *The equative (EQU) case indicates that another noun is likened to or equivalent to the noun marked with this case ("'''As a boy''', I used to run a lot", "He fights '''like a coward'''", "'''a hawk-like''' grin"). | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | | | ||
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;" | {|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;" | ||
|+ rēbim (man, husband) | |+ ''strong masculine noun''<br> rēbim (man, husband) | ||
! | ! style="width: 6em;" | | ||
! Singular !! Plural | ! style="width: 4.2em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.2em;" | Plural | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Nominative | ! Nominative | ||
| ''rēb-im'' || rowspan="2" | ''rēb- | | ''rēb-im'' || rowspan="2" | ''rēb-īya'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Vocative | ! Vocative | ||
| ''rēb- | | ''rēb-i'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Accusative | ! Accusative | ||
| ''rēb-is'' || ''rēb- | | ''rēb-is'' || ''rēb-īza'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
! | ! Ergative | ||
| ''rēb- | | ''rēb-in'' || ''rēb-īna'' | ||
|- | |||
! Genitive | |||
| ''rēb-iḫ'' || ''rēb-īya'' | |||
|- | |- | ||
! Equative | ! Equative | ||
| ''rēb- | | colspan="2" | ''rēb-īli'' | ||
|- | |||
|} | |||
| | |||
| | |||
| | |||
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;" | |||
|+ ''strong feminine noun''<br> lumbum (woman, wife) | |||
! style="width: 6em;" | | |||
! style="width: 4.2em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.2em;" | Plural | |||
|- | |||
! Nominative | |||
| ''lumb-um'' || rowspan="2" | ''lumb-ūwa'' | |||
|- | |||
! Vocative | |||
| ''lumb-u'' | |||
|- | |||
! Accusative | |||
| ''lumb-us'' || ''lumb-ūsa'' | |||
|- | |||
! Ergative | |||
| ''lumb-un'' || ''lumb-ūna'' | |||
|- | |- | ||
! Genitive | ! Genitive | ||
| '' | | ''lumb-uḫ'' || ''lumb-ūwa'' | ||
|- | |||
! Equative | |||
| colspan="2" | ''lumb-ūli'' | |||
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
| | |||
| | | | ||
| | | | ||
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;" | {|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;" | ||
|+ | |+ ''strong neuter noun''<br> ˀilgam (fish) | ||
! | ! style="width: 6em;" | | ||
! Singular !! Plural | ! style="width: 4.2em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.2em;" | Plural | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Nominative | ! Nominative | ||
| '' | | ''ˀilg-am'' || rowspan="2" | ''ˀilg-āya'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Vocative | ! Vocative | ||
| '' | | ''ˀilg-a'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Accusative | ! Accusative | ||
| '' | | ''ˀilg-as'' || ''ˀilg-āsa'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
! | ! Ergative | ||
| '' | | ''ˀilg-an'' || ''ˀilg-āna'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
! | ! Genitive | ||
| ''ˀilg-aḫ'' || ''ˀilg-āya'' | |||
|- | |- | ||
! Equative | ! Equative | ||
| '' | | colspan="2" | ''ˀilg-āli'' | ||
|- | |||
|} | |||
| | |||
| | |||
| | |||
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;" | |||
|+ ''strong inanimate noun''<br> ˀarśas (vessel) | |||
! style="width: 6em;" | | |||
! style="width: 4.2em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.2em;" | Plural | |||
|- | |||
! Nominative | |||
| rowspan="3" | ''ˀarś-as'' || rowspan="3" | ''ˀarś-āya'' | |||
|- | |||
! Vocative | |||
|- | |||
! Accusative | |||
|- | |||
! Ergative | |||
| ''ˀarś-an'' || ''ˀarś-āna'' | |||
|- | |- | ||
! Genitive | ! Genitive | ||
| '' | | ''ˀarś-aḫ'' || ''ˀarś-āya'' | ||
|- | |||
! Equative | |||
| colspan="2" | ''ˀarś-āli'' | |||
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
| | |} | ||
{| | |||
| | | | ||
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;" | {|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;" | ||
|+ | |+ ''weak masculine noun''<br> san̮îm (brother) | ||
! | ! style="width: 6em;" | | ||
! Singular !! Plural | ! style="width: 4.2em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.2em;" | Plural | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Nominative | ! Nominative | ||
| | | ''san̮-îm'' || rowspan="2" | ''san̮-îya'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Vocative | ! Vocative | ||
| ''san̮-î'' | |||
|- | |- | ||
! Accusative | ! Accusative | ||
| | | ''san̮-îs'' || ''san̮-îsa'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
! | ! Ergative | ||
| | | ''san̮-în'' || ''san̮-îna'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
! | ! Genitive | ||
| ''san̮-îḫ'' || ''san̮-îya'' | |||
|- | |- | ||
! Equative | ! Equative | ||
| colspan="2" | '' | | colspan="2" | ''san̮-îli'' | ||
|- | |||
|} | |||
| | |||
| | |||
| | |||
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;" | |||
|+ ''weak feminine noun''<br> san̮ûm (sister) | |||
! style="width: 6em;" | | |||
! style="width: 4.2em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.2em;" | Plural | |||
|- | |||
! Nominative | |||
| ''san̮-ûm'' || rowspan="2" | ''san̮-ûwa'' | |||
|- | |||
! Vocative | |||
| ''san̮-û'' | |||
|- | |||
! Accusative | |||
| ''san̮-ûs'' || ''san̮-ûsa'' | |||
|- | |||
! Ergative | |||
| ''san̮-ûn'' || ''san̮-ûna'' | |||
|- | |- | ||
! Genitive | ! Genitive | ||
| colspan="2" | '' | | ''san̮-ûḫ'' || ''san̮-ûwa'' | ||
|- | |||
! Equative | |||
| colspan="2" | ''san̮-ûli'' | |||
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
| | |||
| | | | ||
| | | | ||
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;" | {|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;" | ||
|+ | |+ ''weak neuter noun''<br> mazâm (sea, saltwater) | ||
! | ! style="width: 6em;" | | ||
! Singular !! Plural | ! style="width: 4.2em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.2em;" | Plural | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Nominative | ! Nominative | ||
| | | ''maz-âm'' || rowspan="2" | ''maz-âya'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Vocative | ! Vocative | ||
| ''maz-â'' | |||
|- | |- | ||
! Accusative | ! Accusative | ||
| | | ''maz-âs'' || ''maz-âsa'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
! | ! Ergative | ||
| | | ''maz-ân'' || ''maz-âna'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
! | ! Genitive | ||
| ''maz-âḫ'' || ''maz-âya'' | |||
|- | |- | ||
! Equative | ! Equative | ||
| colspan="2" | ''maz- | | colspan="2" | ''maz-âli'' | ||
|- | |||
|} | |||
| | |||
| | |||
| | |||
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;" | |||
|+ ''weak inanimate noun''<br> kapâs (drinkable water) | |||
! style="width: 6em;" | | |||
! style="width: 4.2em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.2em;" | Plural | |||
|- | |||
! Nominative | |||
| rowspan="3" | ''kap-âs'' || rowspan="3" | ''kap-âya'' | |||
|- | |||
! Vocative | |||
|- | |||
! Accusative | |||
|- | |||
! Ergative | |||
| ''kap-ân'' || ''kap-âna'' | |||
|- | |- | ||
! Genitive | ! Genitive | ||
| colspan="2" | '' | | ''kap-âḫ'' || ''kap-âya'' | ||
|- | |||
! Equative | |||
| colspan="2" | ''kap-âli'' | |||
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
|} | |} | ||
====Noun states==== | ====Noun states==== | ||
Nouns are also considered to be placed into what are called "noun states". In Vrkhazhian, there are only two states: the absolute state, or ''status absolutus'', and the construct state, or ''status constructus''. | Nouns are also considered to be placed into what are called "noun states". In Vrkhazhian, there are only two states: the absolute state, or ''status absolutus'', and the construct state, or ''status constructus''. The latter form of the noun is marked by the removal of the case endings. | ||
The construct state is used | The construct state is used when a noun is modified by another noun or a preposition phrase. This is also the form the noun takes when possessive suffixes are attached or when nouns are the argument of a nominal predicate ("He is '''a king'''"). Nouns that that are not placed in the construct state are considered to be in the absolute state, which is the default state of all nouns. | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | | | ||
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;" | {|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;" | ||
|+ rēbim (man, husband) | |+ ''strong masculine noun''<br> rēbim (man, husband) | ||
! | ! style="width: 5em;" | | ||
! Singular !! Plural | ! style="width: 4.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.5em;" | Plural | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Nominative | ! Nominative | ||
| rowspan="2"| ''rēb'' || rowspan=" | | rowspan="2" | ''rēb'' || rowspan="3" | ''rēb-ī'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
! | ! Oblique | ||
|- | |- | ||
! | ! Genitive | ||
| ''rēb- | | ''rēb-i'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
! | ! Equative | ||
| | | colspan="2" | ''rēb-īli'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
! | |} | ||
| | |||
| | |||
| | |||
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;" | |||
|+ ''strong feminine noun''<br> lumbum (woman, wife) | |||
! style="width: 5em;" | | |||
! style="width: 4.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.5em;" | Plural | |||
|- | |- | ||
! | ! Nominative | ||
| '' | | rowspan="2" | ''lumub'' || rowspan="3" | ''lumb-ū'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Oblique | |||
|- | |||
! Genitive | ! Genitive | ||
| '' | | ''lumb-u'' | ||
|- | |||
! Equative | |||
| colspan="2" | ''lumb-ūli'' | |||
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
| | |||
| | | | ||
| | | | ||
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;" | {|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;" | ||
|+ | |+ ''strong neuter noun''<br> ˀilgam (fish) | ||
! | ! style="width: 5em;" | | ||
! Singular !! Plural | ! style="width: 4.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.5em;" | Plural | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Nominative | ! Nominative | ||
| rowspan="2"| '' | | rowspan="2" | ''ˀilig'' || rowspan="3" | ''ˀilg-ā'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
! | ! Oblique | ||
|- | |||
! Genitive | |||
| ''ˀilg-a'' | |||
|- | |- | ||
! | ! Equative | ||
| | | colspan="2" | ''ˀilg-āli'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
|} | |||
| '' | | | ||
| | |||
| | |||
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;" | |||
|+ ''strong inanimate noun''<br> ˀarśas (vessel) | |||
! style="width: 5em;" | | |||
! style="width: 4.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.5em;" | Plural | |||
|- | |- | ||
! | ! Nominative | ||
| rowspan="2" | ''ˀaraś'' || rowspan="3" | ''ˀarś-ā'' | |||
|- | |- | ||
! | ! Oblique | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Genitive | ! Genitive | ||
| '' | | ''ˀarś-a'' | ||
|- | |||
! Equative | |||
| colspan="2" | ''ˀarś-āli'' | |||
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
| | |} | ||
{| | |||
| | | | ||
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;" | {|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;" | ||
|+ | |+ ''weak masculine noun''<br> san̮îm (brother) | ||
! | ! style="width: 5em;" | | ||
! Singular !! Plural | ! style="width: 4.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.5em;" | Plural | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Nominative | ! Nominative | ||
| rowspan=" | | rowspan="3" | ''san̮a'' || rowspan="3" | ''san̮-î'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
! | ! Oblique | ||
|- | |||
! Genitive | |||
|- | |- | ||
! | ! Equative | ||
| colspan="2"| '' | | colspan="2" | ''san̮-îli'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
|} | |||
| | | | ||
| | |||
| | |||
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;" | |||
|+ ''weak feminine noun''<br> san̮ûm (sister) | |||
! style="width: 5em;" | | |||
! style="width: 4.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.5em;" | Plural | |||
|- | |- | ||
! | ! Nominative | ||
| rowspan="3" | ''san̮a'' || rowspan="3" | ''san̮-û'' | |||
|- | |- | ||
! | ! Oblique | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Genitive | ! Genitive | ||
| colspan="2"| '' | |- | ||
! Equative | |||
| colspan="2" | ''san̮-ûli'' | |||
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
| | |||
| | | | ||
| | | | ||
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;" | {|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;" | ||
|+ | |+ ''weak neuter noun''<br> mazâm (sea, saltwater) | ||
! | ! style="width: 5em;" | | ||
! Singular !! Plural | ! style="width: 4.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.5em;" | Plural | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Nominative | ! Nominative | ||
| rowspan=" | | rowspan="3" | ''mazi'' || rowspan="3" | ''maz-â'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
! | ! Oblique | ||
|- | |- | ||
! | ! Genitive | ||
|- | |- | ||
! | ! Equative | ||
| colspan="2"| ''maz- | | colspan="2" | ''maz-âli'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
! | |} | ||
| | |||
| | |||
| | |||
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;" | |||
|+ ''weak inanimate noun''<br> kapâs (drinkable water) | |||
! style="width: 5em;" | | |||
! style="width: 4.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.5em;" | Plural | |||
|- | |||
! Nominative | |||
| rowspan="3" | ''kapi'' || rowspan="3" | ''kap-â'' | |||
|- | |- | ||
! | ! Oblique | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Genitive | ! Genitive | ||
| colspan="2"| '' | |- | ||
! Equative | |||
| colspan="2" | ''kap-âli'' | |||
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} |
Latest revision as of 16:49, 2 September 2024
Vrkhazhian nouns are called yanāza (singular yanas). They are declined for case, gender, and number. Vrkhazhian can be said to have two main noun classes or genders: animate and inanimate. Within the animate gender, there are three subgenders: the feminine, the masculine, and the neuter. Animate nouns are inflected for six cases (nominative, vocative, accusative, instrumental, genitive, and equative) while inanimate nouns are inflected for only four (absolutive, ergative/instrumental, genitive, equative). Lastly, all nouns regardless of gender are inflected for two grammatical numbers (singular and plural). The assignment of gender to nouns is mostly non-arbitrary and determined by common, though not exhaustive, sets of criteria.
Nouns that are often feminine:
- female humans, spirits, and deities
- female domesticated animals
- collective nouns involving people in general (i.e people belonging to countries, caravans)
Nouns that are often masculine:
- male humans, spirits, and deities
- male domesticated animals
- collective nouns involving people specifically in a military or aggressive context (i.e armies and violent mobs)
Nouns that are often neuter:
- children and young domesticated animals
- wild animals
- seemingly animate things like rivers, oceans, wind, and fire
- body parts associated with movement such as arms, legs, eyes, and mouth
- certain organs such as the heart
Nouns that are often inanimate:
- still-moving things like trees, mountains, and buildings
- abstract concepts, including actions and states
- etc.
Noun inflection
Vrkhazhian nouns are declined for six cases. Cases are the forms and suffixes that nouns take when they occur in certain parts of a sentence. The seven cases are thus:
- The nominative (NOM) case indicates the subject (doer) of a verb ("Henry runs to the store", "Henry sees Sam").
- The vocative (VOC) case indicates a direct addressee ("Hey, you", "Father, what do you see?").
- The accusative (ACC) case indicates the primary object (receiver/target) of a transitive verb ("Henry sees Sam", "Henry gave Sam a pencil").
- The ergative (ERG) case indicates the instrument by which a verb is done or the secondary object of a ditransitive verb ("Henry gave Sam a pencil", "I wrote with a pen"). It also marks inanimate-gendered agents of transitive verbs.
- The genitive (GEN) case indicates that another noun is modified by the noun marked with this case and the marked noun having various roles such as possessor, origin, or source ("Sam's dog", "Men of Rome").
- The equative (EQU) case indicates that another noun is likened to or equivalent to the noun marked with this case ("As a boy, I used to run a lot", "He fights like a coward", "a hawk-like grin").
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Noun states
Nouns are also considered to be placed into what are called "noun states". In Vrkhazhian, there are only two states: the absolute state, or status absolutus, and the construct state, or status constructus. The latter form of the noun is marked by the removal of the case endings. The construct state is used when a noun is modified by another noun or a preposition phrase. This is also the form the noun takes when possessive suffixes are attached or when nouns are the argument of a nominal predicate ("He is a king"). Nouns that that are not placed in the construct state are considered to be in the absolute state, which is the default state of all nouns.
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Noun derivation
Vrkhazhian nouns are mostly derived from verbs and there are numerous ways to derive nouns from them: