Kipin/Syntax/Noun phrases

Kipin Noun Phrases

Possession

Possession is head marked in Kipin. The possessum is marked for the person, number, and in third person, gender of the possessor

gotusso

gotu	sso
gato	sa
cat	1

My cat.

When the possessor is denoted by an explicit noun phrase, this follows the possessor.

ijeiwi gurfin

ije	iwi	gurfin
ije	yu	gurfin
hen	3H	widow

The widow's hen

The possessor always appears in the unmarked case (nominative for Human and Animal nouns, absolutive for Inanimate nouns).

myijeiwi gurfin lutwifogurgnu

my

ije

iwi

gurfin

lu

twifo

gur

gnu

gnu

ije

yu

gurfin

lu

ce

gur

gnu

A.Acc

hen

3H

widow

1

see

RECENT

3A

I saw the widow's hen.

Adjectives

Attributive adjective precede the noun the qualify. They agree for gender and number but not case.

surfo kije

surfo	kije
cowardly	leiutenant

Cowardly leiutenant

firsurfo sarkeseaer

fir	surfo	sar	kesea	er
ir		sar	kije	ir
H.P	cowardly	H.Acc.P	leiutenant	H.P

cowardly leiutenants

sixel wexen

si	xel	wexen
A.S	pert	puffin

Pert puffin

pexel wasseampa

pe	xel	wasseam	pa
pa	xel	wexen	pa
A.P	pert	puffin	A.P

Pert puffins.

yealdor kipin

ye	aldor	kipin
yi	aldor	kipin
3I	loud	voice

Loud voice

yenkoaldor kekonkolanhe

yenko	aldor	kekon	kolan	ye
yimpi	aldor	kipin	kolan	yi	3IP	loud	voice	3IP	erg

Loud voices

Where multiple adjectives qualify the same noun, they are ordered with the ones representing the newest information first.

Relative clauses

Relative clauses precede the noun qualified and are formed by a gapping strategy. The relativised argument is the grammatical subject of the relative clause, and is omitted in the relative clause.

sicinhiximi mjilhen renardo

3A||flatter||DP||3A ||A.Acc||cock|| fox

si	cinhi	xi	mi	mj	ilhen	renardo
si	cinhi	xi	gnu	gnu	ilhen	renardo

The fox who flattered the cock.

The noun thus qualified appears in the case proper to its role in the matrix clause.

erralseegno sicinhiximi mjilhen gnorennardo

er	ral	see	gno	si	cinhi	xi	mi	mj	ilhen	gno	renardo
ir	ral	xi	gnu	si	cinhi	xi	ngu	ngu	ilhen	gnu	renardo
3PH	chase	DP	3A	3A	flatter	DP	3A	A.Acc	cock	A.Acc	fox

They chased the fox who flattered the cock.

Note that in this example, the matrix clause conveys new information about the noun qualified by the relative clause, which is therefore defocussed. This is typical behaviour in sentences containing relative clauses, but will not necessarily be the case in all circumstances.

As adjectives are primarily verbal in nature, attributive adjectives may be regarded as a form of simple relative clause.