Nouns in Vrkhazhian: Difference between revisions

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Vrkhazhian nouns are called '''ğanūm''' (singular '''ğanum'''). They are declined for case, gender, and number. Specifically there are four cases (nominative, accusative, genitive, and equative) and two numbers (singular and plural). Additionally, Vrkhazhian has three grammatical genders: masculine, feminine, and inanimate. The assignment of gender to nouns is mostly non-arbitrary and determined by common, though not exhaustive, sets of criteria.
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:
Nouns that are often feminine:
*female humans, spirits, and deities
*female humans, spirits, and deities
*domesticated/safe animals
*female domesticated animals
*seemingly animate things like rivers, oceans, and wind
*collective nouns involving people in general (i.e people belonging to countries, caravans)
Nouns that are often masculine:
Nouns that are often masculine:
*male humans, spirits, and deities
*male humans, spirits, and deities
*wild/dangerous animals
*male domesticated animals
*seemingly animate things like storms and fire
*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:
Nouns that are often inanimate:
*still-moving things like trees, mountains, buildings, and tools
*still-moving things like trees, mountains, and buildings
*abstract concepts, including actions and states
*abstract concepts, including actions and states
*collective nouns regardless of animacy
*etc.
*etc.


== Noun inflection ==
== Noun inflection ==
Imperial Vrkhazhian nouns are declined for all five cases. Cases are the forms and suffixes that nouns take when they occur in certain parts of a sentence. The six cases are thus:
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 or agent (doer) of a verb ("'''Henry''' runs to the store", "'''Henry''' sees Sam").
*The nominative (NOM) case indicates the subject (doer) of a verb ("'''Henry''' runs to the store", "'''Henry''' sees Sam").
*The accusative (ACC) case indicates the object or patient (receiver/target) of a verb ("Henry sees '''Sam'''", "Henry gave '''Sam''' a pencil", "John wrote '''to Mary'''").
*The vocative (VOC) case indicates a direct addressee ("Hey, '''you'''", "'''Father''', what do you see?").
*The genitive (GEN) case indicates the possessor of another noun ("That is '''Sam's''' dog", "That pencil is '''mine'''").
*The accusative (ACC) case indicates the primary object (receiver/target) of a transitive verb ("Henry sees '''Sam'''", "Henry gave '''Sam''' a pencil").
*The equative (EQU) case indicates likeness or equivalence to the marked noun ("these '''knifelike''' nails", "they stood tall '''like kings'''")
*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").


{|
{|
  |
  |
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
  |+ ''strong masculine noun''<br>āfi (man, husband)
  |+ ''strong masculine noun''<br> rēbim (man, husband)
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" |
  ! style="width: 6em;" |
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 3.5em;" | Plural
  ! style="width: 4.2em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.2em;" | Plural
  |-
  |-
  ! Free
  ! Nominative
  | ''āf-i'' || ''āf-ī''
  | ''rēb-im'' || rowspan="2" | ''rēb-īya''
  |-
  |-
  ! Bound
  ! Vocative
  | ''āf-a'' || ''āf-ā''
  | ''rēb-i''
|-
! Accusative
| ''rēb-is'' || ''rēb-īza''
  |-
  |-
  |}
  ! Ergative
  |
  | ''rēb-in'' || ''rēb-īna''
|
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
|+ ''strong feminine noun''<br> surgu (chicken)
! style="width: 3.5em;" |
! style="width: 3.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 3.5em;" | Plural
  |-
  |-
  ! Free
  ! Genitive
  | ''surg-u'' || ''surg-ū''
  | ''rēb-iḫ'' || ''rēb-īya''
  |-
  |-
  ! Bound
  ! Equative
  | ''surg-a'' || ''surg-ā''
  | colspan="2" | ''rēb-īli''
  |-
  |-
  |}
  |}
|
  |
  |
  |
  |
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
  |+ ''strong neuter noun''<br> arśas (vessel)
  |+ ''strong feminine noun''<br> lumbum (woman, wife)
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" |
  ! style="width: 6em;" |
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 3.5em;" | Plural
  ! style="width: 4.2em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.2em;" | Plural
  |-
  |-
  ! Nominative
  ! Nominative
  | ''arś-as'' || ''arś-an''
  | ''lumb-um'' || rowspan="2" | ''lumb-ūwa''
|-
! Vocative
| ''lumb-u''
  |-
  |-
  ! Accusative
  ! Accusative
  | ''arś-a'' || ''arś-ā''
  | ''lumb-us'' || ''lumb-ūsa''
|-
! Ergative
| ''lumb-un'' || ''lumb-ūna''
|-
! 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;"
  |+ ''weak masculine noun''<br> asî (boar)
  |+ ''strong neuter noun''<br> ˀilgam (fish)
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" |
  ! style="width: 6em;" |
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 3.5em;" | Plural
  ! style="width: 4.2em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.2em;" | Plural
  |-
  |-
  ! Nominative
  ! Nominative
  | colspan="2" | ''as-î''
  | ''ˀilg-am'' || rowspan="2" | ''ˀilg-āya''
|-
! Vocative
| ''ˀilg-a''
  |-
  |-
  ! Accusative
  ! Accusative
  | colspan="2" | ''as-â''
| ''ˀilg-as'' || ''ˀilg-āsa''
|-
! Ergative
| ''ˀilg-an'' || ''ˀilg-āna''
|-
! Genitive
| ''ˀilg-aḫ'' || ''ˀilg-āya''
|-
! Equative
  | colspan="2" | ''ˀilg-āli''
  |-
  |-
  |}
  |}
|
  |
  |
  |
  |
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
  |+ ''weak feminine noun''<br> masû (sea, saltwater)
  |+ ''strong inanimate noun''<br> ˀarśas (vessel)
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" |
  ! style="width: 6em;" |
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 3.5em;" | Plural
  ! style="width: 4.2em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.2em;" | Plural
  |-
  |-
  ! Nominative
  ! Nominative
  | colspan="2" | ''mas-û''
  | rowspan="3" | ''ˀarś-as'' || rowspan="3" | ''ˀarś-āya''
|-
! Vocative
  |-
  |-
  ! Accusative
  ! Accusative
| colspan="2" | ''mas-â''
  |-
  |-
  |}
  ! Ergative
  |
  | ''ˀarś-an'' || ''ˀarś-āna''
|
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
|+ ''weak neuter noun''<br> kapâs (drinking water)
! style="width: 3.5em;" |
! style="width: 3.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 3.5em;" | Plural
  |-
  |-
  ! Nominative
  ! Genitive
  | ''kap-âs'' || ''kap-ân''
  | ''ˀarś-aḫ'' || ''ˀarś-āya''
  |-
  |-
  ! Accusative
  ! Equative
  | colspan="2" | ''kap-â''
  | colspan="2" | ''ˀarś-āli''
  |-
  |-
  |}
  |}
  |}
  |}


{|
{|
  |
  |
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
  |+ ''strong masculine noun''<br>āfim (man, husband)
  |+ ''weak masculine noun''<br> san̮îm (brother)
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" |
  ! style="width: 6em;" |
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 3.5em;" | Plural
  ! style="width: 4.2em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.2em;" | Plural
  |-
  |-
  ! Nominative
  ! Nominative
  | ''āf-im'' || ''āf-īm''
  | ''san̮-îm'' || rowspan="2" | ''san̮-îya''
|-
! Vocative
| ''san̮-î''
  |-
  |-
  ! Accusative
  ! Accusative
  | ''āf-is'' || ''āf-īs''
  | ''san̮-îs'' || ''san̮-îsa''
|-
! Ergative
| ''san̮-în'' || ''san̮-îna''
  |-
  |-
  ! Genitive
  ! Genitive
  | ''āf-in'' || ''āf-īn''
  | ''san̮-îḫ'' || ''san̮-îya''
  |-
  |-
  ! Equative
  ! Equative
  | ''āf-ili'' || ''āf-īli''
  | colspan="2" | ''san̮-îli''
  |-
  |-
  |}
  |}
|
  |
  |
  |
  |
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
  |+ ''strong feminine noun''<br> surgum (chicken)
  |+ ''weak feminine noun''<br> san̮ûm (sister)
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" |
  ! style="width: 6em;" |
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 3.5em;" | Plural
  ! style="width: 4.2em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.2em;" | Plural
  |-
  |-
  ! Nominative
  ! Nominative
  | ''surg-um'' || ''surg-ūm''
  | ''san̮-ûm'' || rowspan="2" | ''san̮-ûwa''
|-
! Vocative
| ''san̮-û''
  |-
  |-
  ! Accusative
  ! Accusative
  | ''surg-us'' || ''surg-ūs''
  | ''san̮-ûs'' || ''san̮-ûsa''
|-
! Ergative
| ''san̮-ûn'' || ''san̮-ûna''
  |-
  |-
  ! Genitive
  ! Genitive
  | ''surg-un'' || ''surg-ūn''
  | ''san̮-ûḫ'' || ''san̮-ûwa''
  |-
  |-
  ! Equative
  ! Equative
  | ''surg-uli'' || ''surg-ūli''
  | colspan="2" | ''san̮-ûli''
  |-
  |-
  |}
  |}
|
  |
  |
  |
  |
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
  |+ ''strong neuter noun''<br> arśas (vessel)
  |+ ''weak neuter noun''<br> mazâm (sea, saltwater)
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" |
  ! style="width: 6em;" |
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 3.5em;" | Plural
  ! style="width: 4.2em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.2em;" | Plural
  |-
  |-
  ! Nominative
  ! Nominative
  | rowspan="2"| ''arś-as'' || rowspan="2"| ''arś-ās''
  | ''maz-âm'' || rowspan="2" | ''maz-âya''
|-
! Vocative
| ''maz-â''
  |-
  |-
  ! Accusative
  ! Accusative
| ''maz-âs'' || ''maz-âsa''
|-
! Ergative
| ''maz-ân'' || ''maz-âna''
  |-
  |-
  ! Genitive
  ! Genitive
  | ''arś-aḫ'' || ''arś-āḫ''
  | ''maz-âḫ'' || ''maz-âya''
  |-
  |-
  ! Equative
  ! Equative
  | ''arś-ali'' || ''arś-āli''
  | colspan="2" | ''maz-âli''
  |-
  |-
  |}
  |}
|
  |
  |
  |
  |
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
  |+ ''weak masculine noun''<br> asîm (boar)
  |+ ''weak inanimate noun''<br> kapâs (drinkable water)
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" |
  ! style="width: 6em;" |
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 3.5em;" | Plural
  ! style="width: 4.2em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.2em;" | Plural
  |-
  |-
  ! Nominative
  ! Nominative
  | colspan="2" | ''as-îm''
  | rowspan="3" | ''kap-âs'' || rowspan="3" | ''kap-âya''
|-
! Vocative
  |-
  |-
  ! Accusative
  ! Accusative
  | colspan="2" | ''as-îs''
  |-
! Ergative
| ''kap-ân'' || ''kap-âna''
  |-
  |-
  ! Genitive
  ! Genitive
  | colspan="2" | ''as-în''
  | ''kap-âḫ'' || ''kap-âya''
  |-
  |-
  ! Equative
  ! Equative
  | colspan="2" | ''as-îli''
  | colspan="2" | ''kap-âli''
  |-
  |-
  |}
  |}
  |
  |}
 
 
====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.
 
{|
  |
  |
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
  |+ ''weak feminine noun''<br> masûm (sea, saltwater)
  |+ ''strong masculine noun''<br> rēbim (man, husband)
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" |
  ! style="width: 5em;" |
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 3.5em;" | Plural
  ! style="width: 4.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.5em;" | Plural
  |-
  |-
  ! Nominative
  ! Nominative
  | colspan="2" | ''mas-ûm''
  | rowspan="2" | ''rēb'' || rowspan="3" | ''rēb-ī''
  |-
  |-
  ! Accusative
  ! Oblique
| colspan="2" | ''mas-ûs''
  |-
  |-
  ! Genitive
  ! Genitive
  | colspan="2" | ''mas-ûn''
  | ''rēb-i''
  |-
  |-
  ! Equative
  ! Equative
  | colspan="2" | ''mas-ûli''
  | colspan="2" | ''rēb-īli''
  |-
  |-
  |}
  |}
|
  |
  |
  |
  |
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
  |+ ''weak neuter noun''<br> kapâs (drinking water)
  |+ ''strong feminine noun''<br> lumbum (woman, wife)
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" |
  ! style="width: 5em;" |
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 3.5em;" | Plural
  ! style="width: 4.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.5em;" | Plural
  |-
  |-
  ! Nominative
  ! Nominative
  | colspan="2" rowspan="2" | ''kap-âs''
  | rowspan="2" | ''lumub'' || rowspan="3" | ''lumb-ū''
|-
! Accusative
  |-
  |-
! Oblique
|-
  ! Genitive
  ! Genitive
  | colspan="2" | ''kap-âḫ''
  | ''lumb-u''
  |-
  |-
  ! Equative
  ! Equative
  | colspan="2" | ''kap-âli''
  | colspan="2" | ''lumb-ūli''
  |-
  |-
  |}
  |}
  |}
  |
 
|
 
|
====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''. This form of the noun is marked by the removal of the case endings and a change or removal of the gender-marking vowel.
The construct state is used when a noun is modified by another noun that is either in the genitive case or the equative case. This is also the form the noun takes when possessive suffixes are attached. 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;"
  |+ āfim (man, husband)
  |+ ''strong neuter noun''<br> ˀilgam (fish)
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" |
  ! style="width: 5em;" |
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 3.5em;" | Plural
  ! style="width: 4.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.5em;" | Plural
  |-
  |-
  ! Nominative
  ! Nominative
  | rowspan="2"| ''āf-a'' || rowspan="2" | ''āf-ā''
  | rowspan="2" | ''ˀilig'' || rowspan="3" | ''ˀilg-ā''
|-
! Accusative
  |-
  |-
! Oblique
|-
  ! Genitive
  ! Genitive
  | ''āf-i'' || ''āf-ī''
  | ''ˀilg-a''
  |-
  |-
  ! Equative
  ! Equative
  | ''āf-ali'' || ''āf-āli''
  | colspan="2" | ''ˀilg-āli''
  |-
  |-
  |}
  |}
|
  |
  |
  |
  |
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
  |+ surgum (chicken)
  |+ ''strong inanimate noun''<br> ˀarśas (vessel)
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" |
  ! style="width: 5em;" |
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 3.5em;" | Plural
  ! style="width: 4.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.5em;" | Plural
  |-
  |-
  ! Nominative
  ! Nominative
  | rowspan="2"| ''surg-a'' || rowspan="2" | ''surg-ā''
  | rowspan="2" | ''ˀaraś'' || rowspan="3" | ''ˀarś-ā''
  |-
  |-
  ! Accusative
  ! Oblique
  |-
  |-
  ! Genitive
  ! Genitive
  | ''surg-u'' || ''surg-ū''
  | ''ˀarś-a''
  |-
  |-
  ! Equative
  ! Equative
  | ''surg-ali'' || ''surg-āli''
  | colspan="2" | ''ˀarś-āli''
  |-
  |-
  |}
  |}
  |
  |}
 
{|
  |
  |
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
  |+ arśas (vessel)
  |+ ''weak masculine noun''<br> san̮îm (brother)
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" |
  ! style="width: 5em;" |
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 3.5em;" | Plural
  ! style="width: 4.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.5em;" | Plural
  |-
  |-
  ! Nominative
  ! Nominative
  | rowspan="3"| ''arś-a'' || rowspan="3" | ''arś-ā''
  | rowspan="3" | ''san̮a'' || rowspan="3" | ''san̮-î''
  |-
  |-
  ! Accusative
  ! Oblique
  |-
  |-
  ! Genitive
  ! Genitive
  |-
  |-
  ! Equative
  ! Equative
  | ''arś-ali'' || ''arś-āli''
  | colspan="2" | ''san̮-îli''
  |-
  |-
  |}
  |}
|
  |
  |
  |
  |
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
  |+ asîm (boar)
  |+ ''weak feminine noun''<br> san̮ûm (sister)
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" |
  ! style="width: 5em;" |
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 3.5em;" | Plural
  ! style="width: 4.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.5em;" | Plural
  |-
  |-
  ! Nominative
  ! Nominative
  | colspan="2" rowspan="2" | ''as-â''
  | rowspan="3" | ''san̮a'' || rowspan="3" | ''san̮-û''
  |-
  |-
  ! Accusative
  ! Oblique
  |-
  |-
  ! Genitive
  ! Genitive
| colspan="2" | ''as-î''
  |-
  |-
  ! Equative
  ! Equative
  | colspan="2" | ''as-âli''
  | colspan="2" | ''san̮-ûli''
  |-
  |-
  |}
  |}
|
  |
  |
  |
  |
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
  |+ masûm (sea, saltwater)
  |+ ''weak neuter noun''<br> mazâm (sea, saltwater)
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" |
  ! style="width: 5em;" |
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 3.5em;" | Plural
  ! style="width: 4.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.5em;" | Plural
  |-
  |-
  ! Nominative
  ! Nominative
  | colspan="2" rowspan="2" | ''mas-â''
  | rowspan="3" | ''mazi'' || rowspan="3" | ''maz-â''
  |-
  |-
  ! Accusative
  ! Oblique
  |-
  |-
  ! Genitive
  ! Genitive
| colspan="2" | ''mas-û''
  |-
  |-
  ! Equative
  ! Equative
  | colspan="2" | ''mas-âli''
  | colspan="2" | ''maz-âli''
  |-
  |-
  |}
  |}
|
  |
  |
  |
  |
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
{|class="wikitable article-table" style="text-align:center;"
  |+ kapâs (drinking water)
  |+ ''weak inanimate noun''<br> kapâs (drinkable water)
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" |
  ! style="width: 5em;" |
  ! style="width: 3.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 3.5em;" | Plural
  ! style="width: 4.5em;" | Singular !! style="width: 4.5em;" | Plural
  |-
  |-
  ! Nominative
  ! Nominative
  | colspan="2" rowspan="3" | ''kap-â''
  | rowspan="3" | ''kapi'' || rowspan="3" | ''kap-â''
  |-
  |-
  ! Accusative
  ! Oblique
  |-
  |-
  ! Genitive
  ! Genitive

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").
strong masculine noun
rēbim (man, husband)
Singular Plural
Nominative rēb-im rēb-īya
Vocative rēb-i
Accusative rēb-is rēb-īza
Ergative rēb-in rēb-īna
Genitive rēb-iḫ rēb-īya
Equative rēb-īli
strong feminine noun
lumbum (woman, wife)
Singular Plural
Nominative lumb-um lumb-ūwa
Vocative lumb-u
Accusative lumb-us lumb-ūsa
Ergative lumb-un lumb-ūna
Genitive lumb-uḫ lumb-ūwa
Equative lumb-ūli
strong neuter noun
ˀilgam (fish)
Singular Plural
Nominative ˀilg-am ˀilg-āya
Vocative ˀilg-a
Accusative ˀilg-as ˀilg-āsa
Ergative ˀilg-an ˀilg-āna
Genitive ˀilg-aḫ ˀilg-āya
Equative ˀilg-āli
strong inanimate noun
ˀarśas (vessel)
Singular Plural
Nominative ˀarś-as ˀarś-āya
Vocative
Accusative
Ergative ˀarś-an ˀarś-āna
Genitive ˀarś-aḫ ˀarś-āya
Equative ˀarś-āli
weak masculine noun
san̮îm (brother)
Singular Plural
Nominative san̮-îm san̮-îya
Vocative san̮-î
Accusative san̮-îs san̮-îsa
Ergative san̮-în san̮-îna
Genitive san̮-îḫ san̮-îya
Equative san̮-îli
weak feminine noun
san̮ûm (sister)
Singular Plural
Nominative san̮-ûm san̮-ûwa
Vocative san̮-û
Accusative san̮-ûs san̮-ûsa
Ergative san̮-ûn san̮-ûna
Genitive san̮-ûḫ san̮-ûwa
Equative san̮-ûli
weak neuter noun
mazâm (sea, saltwater)
Singular Plural
Nominative maz-âm maz-âya
Vocative maz-â
Accusative maz-âs maz-âsa
Ergative maz-ân maz-âna
Genitive maz-âḫ maz-âya
Equative maz-âli
weak inanimate noun
kapâs (drinkable water)
Singular Plural
Nominative kap-âs kap-âya
Vocative
Accusative
Ergative kap-ân kap-âna
Genitive kap-âḫ kap-âya
Equative kap-âli


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.

strong masculine noun
rēbim (man, husband)
Singular Plural
Nominative rēb rēb-ī
Oblique
Genitive rēb-i
Equative rēb-īli
strong feminine noun
lumbum (woman, wife)
Singular Plural
Nominative lumub lumb-ū
Oblique
Genitive lumb-u
Equative lumb-ūli
strong neuter noun
ˀilgam (fish)
Singular Plural
Nominative ˀilig ˀilg-ā
Oblique
Genitive ˀilg-a
Equative ˀilg-āli
strong inanimate noun
ˀarśas (vessel)
Singular Plural
Nominative ˀaraś ˀarś-ā
Oblique
Genitive ˀarś-a
Equative ˀarś-āli
weak masculine noun
san̮îm (brother)
Singular Plural
Nominative san̮a san̮-î
Oblique
Genitive
Equative san̮-îli
weak feminine noun
san̮ûm (sister)
Singular Plural
Nominative san̮a san̮-û
Oblique
Genitive
Equative san̮-ûli
weak neuter noun
mazâm (sea, saltwater)
Singular Plural
Nominative mazi maz-â
Oblique
Genitive
Equative maz-âli
weak inanimate noun
kapâs (drinkable water)
Singular Plural
Nominative kapi kap-â
Oblique
Genitive
Equative kap-âli

Noun derivation

Vrkhazhian nouns are mostly derived from verbs and there are numerous ways to derive nouns from them:

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