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- | 3.H | 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- | 3.H | widow | 1- | see- | REC.PST- | 3.A |
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 |
| surfo | kije |
| cowardly | lieutenant |
Cowardly lieutenant
firsurfo sarkeseaer
| fir- | surfo | sar- | kesea- | er |
| ir- | surfo | sar- | kije- | ir |
| H.PL | cowardly | H.Acc.PL | lieutenant | H.PL |
cowardly lieutenants
sixel wexen
| si- | xel | wexen |
| si- | xel | wexen |
| A | pert | puffin |
Pert puffin
pexel wasseampa
| pe- | xel | wasseam- | pa |
| pa- | xel | wexen- | pa |
| A.PL | pert | puffin | A.P |
Pert puffins.
yealdor kipin
| ye- | aldor | kipin |
| yi- | aldor | kipin |
| INAN- | loud | voice |
Loud voice
yenkoaldor kekonkolanhe
| yenko- | aldor | kekon- | kolan- | ye |
| yimpi | aldor | kipin | kolan | yi |
| INAN.PL- | loud | voice- | INAN.PL- | 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
| si- | cinhi- | xi- | mi | mj- | ilhen | renardo |
| si- | cinhi- | xi- | gnu | gnu- | ilhen | renardo |
| 3.A | flatter | DIST.PST | 3.A | A.ACC- | cock | fox |
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 |
| 3.PL.H | chase | DIST.PST- | 3.A | 3.A- | flatter- | DIST.PST | 3.A | 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.
