Classical Laefêvëši nouns
Nouns in Laefêvëši are marked for both case and number. There are 25 cases divided into three groups and 3 numbers (singular, dual and plural). Nouns are also divided into two genders: masculine and feminine. Articles are not used any more, however, under some conditions they can be used but they do not mark definiteness in usual sense.
Gender
In Laefeveshi, nouns belong to one of the two genders: masculine or feminine. There used to be a neutral gender but its usage slowly decreased and it's nowadays not used any more. The grammatical gender of nouns is generally indicated by the ending of the noun. Adjectives, pronouns and verbal forms expressing gender normally agree in gender with the noun they qualify.
Masculine nouns
Most nouns ending in a consonant are masculine. Of masculine gender are also nouns that naturally indicate male persons or male animals. However, some nouns (male names mainly) end in a vowel but are masculine gender.
Feminine nouns
Most nouns ending in a vowel are feminine. Nouns that naturally indicate female persons or female animals are feminine. Some nouns that end in a consonant (female names mainly) are also of feminine gender.
Animacy
Both feminine and masculine nouns are divided into two subtypes:
- animate nouns: they denote animate beings
- inanimate nouns: they denote inanimate objects
This feature is also reflected in the first declensions; the animate nouns have a different suffix in accusative and genitive than the inanimate nouns.
Certain nouns have the animacy feature even though they represent inanimate objects.
Number
Three numbers are distinguished in Laefeveshi: singular, dual and plural. Numbers are marked with suffixes.
Case
- Main article: Cases in Laefêvëši
Laefeveshi nouns have 25 cases in the singular, dual and plural. Cases are divided into three groups.
Groups are:
- Basic or main cases: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, locative, instrumental
- Sub-cases: terminative, egressive, elative, abessive, lative, illative, benefactive, sublative, superessive, inessive, temporal, antensive, instcomitative
- Additional cases: vocative, partitive, nepartitive, equative, amarative, miristive
The basic cases can replace any of the sub-cases and additional cases. The cases are arranged in the so-called case hierarchy which shows which case can replace another case.
- 1. Nominative
- 2. Genitive
- 13. Terminative
- 14. Egressive
- 15. Elative
- 16. Abessive
- 3. Dative
- 17. Lative
- 4. Accusative
- 18. Illative
- 19. Benefactive
- 20. Sublative
- 5. Locative
- 21. Superessive
- 22. Inessive
- 23. Temporal
- 6. Instrumental
- 24. Antensive
- 25. Instcomitative
- 7. Vocative
- 8. Partitive
- 9. Nepartitive
- 10. Equative
- 11. Amarative
- 12. Miristive
The additional cases (marked in italics) are replaced by nominative, except partitve which is replaced by genitive in most examples.
The number before the cases is the number the particular case is generally referred to. The cases are normally presented by those numbers, i. e. nominative is the 1st case, genitive is the 2nd case, terminative is the 13th case, etc.
Locative and instrumental are prepositional cases and are always used with prepositions.
Case cohesiveness
Cases are also divided into two groups, called open cases and closed cases, this feature is called case cohesiveness. The difference between them is that open cases can be combined with other cases while closed cases cannot combine.
Open cases are:
- vocative (7)
- partitive (8)
- nepartitive (9)
- equative (10)
- amarative (11)
- miristive (12)
- temporal (23)
Declensions
Masculine declensions
First masculine declension
| Number | ||||
| Case | Singular | Dual | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative (1) | láih | láihie | láihā | |
| Genitive (2) | láihau | láihiau | láihasa | |
| Terminative (13) | láihalu | láihialu | láihasla | |
| Egressive (14) | láihalo | láihialo | láihaslu | |
| Elative (15) | láihatu | láihiatu | láihasta | |
| Abessive (16) | láihazu | láihiazu | láihazza | |
| Dative (3) | láihiu | láihiue | láihasi | |
| Lative (17) | láihicu | láihiacu | láihači | |
| Accusative (4) | láiheu | láihieu | láihase | |
| Illative (18) | láihelu | láihielu | láihasle | |
| Benefactive (19) | láihelo | láihielo | láihasli | |
| Sublative (20) | láiheru | láihieru | láihasre | |
| Locative (5) | láihui | láihiui | láihasu | |
| Superessive (21) | láihuki | láihiuki | láihasku | |
| Inessive (22) | láihuli | láihiuli | láihaslu | |
| Temporal (23) | láihuko | láihiuko | láihasko | |
| Instrumental (6) | láihou | láihiou | láihaso | |
| Antesive (24) | láiholu | láihiolu | láihaslo | |
| Instcomitative (25) | láihodu | láihiodu | láihasto | |
| Vocative (7) | láiho | láihoma | láihova | |
| Partitive (8) | láihea | láiheni | láihevi | |
| Nepartitive (9) | láihena | láihenni | láihenvi | |
| Equative (10) | láihana | láihiana | láihasna | |
| Amarative (11) | láihy | láihyne | láihyve | |
| Miristive (12) | láihot | láihote | láihotte | |
| Number | ||||
| Case | Singular | Dual | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative (1) | Lêmōš | Lêmōšie | Lêmōšā | |
| Genitive (2) | Lêmōšye | Lêmōšiye | Lêmōšysë | |
| Terminative (13) | Lêmōšalu | Lêmōšialu | Lêmōšasla | |
| Egressive (14) | Lêmōšalo | Lêmōšialo | Lêmōšaslu | |
| Elative (15) | Lêmōšatu | Lêmōšiatu | Lêmōšasta | |
| Abessive (16) | Lêmōšazu | Lêmōšiazu | Lêmōšazza | |
| Dative (3) | Lêmōšiu | Lêmōšiue | Lêmōšasi | |
| Lative (17) | Lêmōšicu | Lêmōšiacu | Lêmōšači | |
| Accusative (4) | Lêmōšēi | Lêmōšiēi | Lêmōšēsy | |
| Illative (18) | Lêmōšelu | Lêmōšielu | Lêmōšasle | |
| Benefactive (19) | Lêmōšelo | Lêmōšielo | Lêmōšasli | |
| Sublative (20) | Lêmōšeru | Lêmōšieru | Lêmōšasre | |
| Locative (5) | Lêmōšui | Lêmōšiui | Lêmōšasu | |
| Superessive (21) | Lêmōšuki | Lêmōšiuki | Lêmōšasku | |
| Inessive (22) | Lêmōšuli | Lêmōšiuli | Lêmōšaslu | |
| Temporal (23) | Lêmōšuko | Lêmōšiuko | Lêmōšasko | |
| Instrumental (6) | Lêmōšou | Lêmōšiou | Lêmōšaso | |
| Antesive (24) | Lêmōšolu | Lêmōšiolu | Lêmōšaslo | |
| Instcomitative (25) | Lêmōšodu | Lêmōšiodu | Lêmōšasto | |
| Vocative (7) | Lêmōšo | Lêmōšoma | Lêmōšova | |
| Partitive (8) | Lêmōšea | Lêmōšeni | Lêmōševi | |
| Nepartitive (9) | Lêmōšena | Lêmōšenni | Lêmōšenvi | |
| Equative (10) | Lêmōšana | Lêmōšiana | Lêmōšasna | |
| Amarative (10) | Lêmōšy | Lêmōšyne | Lêmōšyve | |
| Miristive (12) | Lêmōšot | Lêmōšote | Lêmōšotte | |
- when the noun end in -w in nominative singular, the -w changes into geminate -vv and the stress is placed on the syllable before the geminate -vv: nómiw (nom. sg.) -> nomívvie (nom. dual). This change applies for all declined cases.
- when the noun ends in -va in nominative singular, the -va changes into -tv, to which is then added the appropriate suffix.
- when the noun ends in -j or -i in nominative singular, the -j changes into -ð and the -i changes into -z when declined.
- when a male personal name ends in -i in nominative singular, the stem is lengthened with -nt when declined: Ásti -> Ástintiu.
Second masculine declension
The second declension applies to those noun that end on a consonant which can be geminated. The consonant in the suffix changes accordingly to the last consonant of the stem.
Geminate consonants are: -m, -p, -b, -f, -v, -n, -t, -d, -r, -þ, -ð, -s, -z, -l, -k and -g.
| Number | ||||
| Case | Singular | Dual | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative (1) | šéntal | šéntalie | šéntalā | |
| Genitive (2) | šéntalau | šéntaliau | šéntalasa | |
| Terminative (13) | šéntally | šéntalialu | šéntalasla | |
| Egressive (14) | šéntallo | šéntalialo | šéntalaslu | |
| Elative (15) | šéntallu | šéntaliatu | šéntalasta | |
| Abessive (16) | šéntallā | šéntaliazu | šéntalazza | |
| Dative (3) | šéntaliu | šéntaliue | šéntalasi | |
| Lative (17) | šéntallī | šéntaliacu | šéntalači | |
| Accusative (4) | šéntaleu | šéntalieu | šéntalase | |
| Illative (18) | šéntallø | šéntalielu | šéntalasle | |
| Benefactive (19) | šéntallaa | šéntalielo | šéntalasli | |
| Sublative (20) | šéntallū | šéntalieru | šéntalasre | |
| Locative (5) | šéntalui | šéntaliui | šéntalasu | |
| Superessive (21) | šéntalli | šéntaliuki | šéntalasku | |
| Inessive (22) | šéntallē | šéntaliuli | šéntalaslu | |
| Temporal (23) | šéntallō | šéntaliuko | šéntalasko | |
| Instrumental (6) | šéntalou | šéntaliou | šéntalaso | |
| Antesive (24) | šéntallö | šéntaliolu | šéntalaslo | |
| Instcomitative (25) | šéntallë | šéntaliodu | šéntalasto | |
| Vocative (7) | šéntalo | šéntaloma | šéntalova | |
| Partitive (8) | šéntalea | šéntaleni | šéntalevi | |
| Nepartitive (9) | šéntalena | šéntalenni | šéntalenvi | |
| Equative (10) | šéntalana | šéntaliana | šéntalasna | |
| Amarative (11) | šéntaly | šéntalyne | šéntalyve | |
| Miristive (12) | šéntalot | šéntalote | šéntalotte | |
Third masculine declension
The third masculine declension is like the first, only that it has contracted suffixes. It is interchangeable with the first masculine declension.
| Number | ||||
| Case | Singular | Dual | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative (1) | láih | láihie | láihā | |
| Genitive (2) | láihau | láihiau | láihas | |
| Terminative (13) | láihal | láihial | láihisk | |
| Egressive (14) | láihol | láihiol | láihist | |
| Elative (15) | láihat | láihiat | láihast | |
| Abessive (16) | láihaþ | láihiaþ | láihāþ | |
| Dative (3) | láihiu | láihiue | láihis | |
| Lative (17) | láihik | láihiak | láihask | |
| Accusative (4) | láiheu | láihieu | láihes | |
| Illative (18) | láihel | láihiel | láihest | |
| Benefactive (19) | láihøl | láihiøl | láihøst | |
| Sublative (20) | láiher | láihier | láihers | |
| Locative (5) | láihui | láihiui | láihus | |
| Superessive (21) | láihuk | láihiuk | láihusk | |
| Inessive (22) | láihil | láihiil | láihust | |
| Temporal (23) | láihok | láihiok | láihosk | |
| Instrumental (6) | láihou | láihiou | láihos | |
| Antesive (24) | láihul | láihiul | láihost | |
| Instcomitative (25) | láihot | láihiot | láihust | |
| Vocative (7) | láiho | láihom | láihof | |
| Partitive (8) | láihea | láihen | láihef | |
| Nepartitive (9) | láihøn | láihiøn | láihøf | |
| Equative (10) | láihan | láihian | láihans | |
| Amarative (11) | láihy | láihyn | láihyf | |
| Miristive (12) | láihot | láihiøt | láihøt | |
Feminine declensions
First feminine declension
| Number | ||||
| Case | Singular | Dual | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative (1) | lâne | lânesk | lâneš | |
| Genitive (2) | lânede | lâneske | lâneše | |
| Terminative (13) | lânele | lânesle | lânešle | |
| Egressive (14) | lânene | lânesne | lânešne | |
| Elative (15) | lânete | lâneste | lânešte | |
| Abessive (16) | lâneze | lânezze | lâneže | |
| Dative (3) | lânedo | lânesko | lânešo | |
| Lative (17) | lâneco | lânecħo | lânedžo | |
| Accusative (4) | lâneda | lâneska | lâneša | |
| Illative (18) | lânela | lânesla | lânešla | |
| Benefactive (19) | lânelja | lânesja | lânešja | |
| Sublative (20) | lânera | lânesŗa | lânešŗa | |
| Locative (5) | lânedi | lâneskø | lâneši | |
| Superessive (21) | lâneki | lâneski | lâneške | |
| Inessive (22) | lâneli | lânesli | lâneški | |
| Temporal (23) | lâneko | lânesto | lâneško | |
| Instrumental (6) | lânedu | lânesku | lânešu | |
| Antesive (24) | lânelu | lâneslu | lânešlu | |
| Instcomitative (25) | lâneku | lânesnø | lânešnø | |
| Vocative (7) | lânexo | lânexø | lâneȝø | |
| Partitive (8) | lânedei | lâneskei | lâneȝei | |
| Nepartitive (9) | lânetnei | lânestnei | lânežnei | |
| Equative (10) | lânezo | lâneʒo | lâneco | |
| Amarative (11) | lânexī | lânexē | lâneźē | |
| Miristive (12) | lânegë | lânege | lânekše | |
| Number | ||||
| Case | Singular | Dual | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative (1) | kínoo | kínoosk | kínooš | |
| Genitive (2) | kínoodē | kínooskē | kínoošē | |
| Terminative (13) | kínoole | kínoosle | kínoošle | |
| Egressive (14) | kínoone | kínooske | kínoošne | |
| Elative (15) | kínoote | kínooste | kínoošte | |
| Abessive (16) | kínooze | kínoozze | kínoože | |
| Dative (3) | kínoodo | kínoosko | kínoošo | |
| Lative (17) | kínooco | kínoocħo | kínoodžo | |
| Accusative (4) | kínoodø | kínooskø | kínoošø | |
| Illative (18) | kínoola | kínoosla | kínoošla | |
| Benefactive (19) | kínoolja | kínoosja | kínoošja | |
| Sublative (20) | kínoora | kínoosŗa | kínoošŗa | |
| Locative (5) | kínoodi | kínooske | kínooši | |
| Superessive (21) | kínooki | kínooski | kínooške | |
| Inessive (22) | kínooli | kínoosli | kínooški | |
| Temporal (23) | kínooko | kínoosto | kínooško | |
| Instrumental (6) | kínoodu | kínoosku | kínoošu | |
| Antesive (24) | kínoolu | kínooslu | kínoošlu | |
| Instcomitative (25) | kínooku | kínoosnø | kínoošnø | |
| Vocative (7) | kínooxo | kínooxø | kínooȝø | |
| Partitive (8) | kínoodei | kínooskei | kínooȝei | |
| Nepartitive (9) | kínootnei | kínoostnei | kínoožnei | |
| Equative (10) | kínoozo | kínooʒo | kínooco | |
| Amarative (11) | kínooxī | kínooxē | kínooźē | |
| Miristive (12) | kínoogë | kínooge | kínookše | |
Second feminine declension
This declension includes feminine nouns that end on -d (pronounced as /t/). When the suffix begins on a voiceless consonant, the stem -d is pronounced as /t/, when the suffix begins on a voiced consonant, it is pronounced as /d/. There are several other irregularities within the declension, they're marked in bold. Words in italics indicate that -d- is silent.
| Number | ||||
| Case | Singular | Dual | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative (1) | Xolléad | Xolléaþk | Xolléaź | |
| Genitive (2) | Xolléadde | Xolléaþke | Xolléaźe | |
| Terminative (13) | Xolléadle | Xolléaþle | Xolléaźle | |
| Egressive (14) | Xolléadne | Xolléaþne | Xolléaźne | |
| Elative (15) | Xolléadte | Xolléaþte | Xolléaśte | |
| Abessive (16) | Xolléadze | Xolléadzze | Xolléadže | |
| Dative (3) | Xolléaddo | Xolléaþko | Xolléaźo | |
| Lative (17) | Xolléadco | Xolléadcħo | Xolléaddžo | |
| Accusative (4) | Xolléadda | Xolléaþka | Xolléaźa | |
| Illative (18) | Xolléadla | Xolléaþla | Xolléaźla | |
| Benefactive (19) | Xolléadlja | Xolléaþja | Xolléaźja | |
| Sublative (20) | Xolléadra | Xolléaþŗa | Xolléaźŗa | |
| Locative (5) | Xolléaddi | Xolléaþkø | Xolléaźi | |
| Superessive (21) | Xolléadki | Xolléaþki | Xolléaśke | |
| Inessive (22) | Xolléadli | Xolléaþli | Xolléaśki | |
| Temporal (23) | Xolléadko | Xolléaþto | Xolléaśko | |
| Instrumental (6) | Xolléaddu | Xolléaþku | Xolléaźu | |
| Antesive (24) | Xolléadlu | Xolléaþlu | Xolléaźlu | |
| Instcomitative (25) | Xolléadku | Xolléaþnø | Xolléaźnø | |
| Vocative (7) | Xolléadxo | Xolléadxø | Xolléaddźø | |
| Partitive (8) | Xolléaddei | Xolléaþkei | Xolléaddźei | |
| Nepartitive (9) | Xolléadtnei | Xolléaþtnei | Xolléadžnei | |
| Equative (10) | Xolléadzo | Xolléaððo | Xolléadco | |
| Amarative (11) | Xolléadxī | Xolléadxē | Xolléadźē | |
| Miristive (12) | Xolléadgë | Xolléadge | Xolléadkše | |
Partitive suffixes
| Number | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|
| three | -eli | -ȝia |
| four | -emi | -ȝai |
| five | -elvi | -ȝøi |
| six | -eni | -ȝie |
| seven | -avi | -ȝeli |
| eight | -evji | -ȝeji |
| nine | -eri | -ȝeri |
| ten | -eśi | -ȝeśi |
| eleven | -eviśa | -ȝesi |
| twelve | -eviva | -ȝeva |
| thirteen | -evila | -ȝela |
| fourteen | -evima | -ȝema |
| fifteen | -evela | -ȝila |
| sixteen | -evina | -ȝena |
| seventeen | -evena | -ȝina |
| eighteen | -evele | -ȝele |
| nineteen | -evere | -ȝere |
Escalation of nouns
The escalation of nouns has two types: diminutives and augmentatives.
Diminutives
There are two basic diminutive degrees (besides the basic or zeroth degree), however, it is possible to create even smaller degrees by combining the suffixes.
| Degree | Masculine | Feminine | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| singular | dual | plural | singular | dual | plural | |||||||
| long | short | long | short | long | short | long | short | long | short | long | short | |
| Zeroth | -/ | |||||||||||
| First | -ifi | -fi | -ife | -fe | -ifa | -fa | -iki | -kħi | -ike | -kħe | -ika | -kħa |
| Second | -iwi | -wi | -iwe | -we | -iwa | -wa | -ihi | -hi | -ihe | -he | -iha | -ha |
| Third | -iwfi | -ufi | -iwfe | -ufe | -iwfa | -ufa | -ihki | -hki | -ihke | -hke | -ihka | -hka |
Examples:
| Degree | Masculine | Feminine | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| singular | dual | plural | singular | dual | plural | |||||||
| long | short | long | short | long | short | long | short | long | short | long | short | |
| Zeroth | Êlir | vásna | ||||||||||
| First | Êlirifi | Êlirfi | Êlirife | Êlirfe | Êlirifa | Êlirfa | vásnaiki | vásnakħi | vásnaike | vásnakħe | vásnaika | vásnakħa |
| Second | Êliriwi | Êlirwi | Êliriwe | Êlirwe | Êliriwa | Êlirwa | vásnaihi | vásnahi | vásnaihe | vásnahe | vásnaiha | vásnaha |
| Third | Êliriwfi | Êlirufi | Êliriwfe | Êlirufe | Êliriwfa | Êlirufa | vásnaihki | vásnahki | vásnaihke | vásnahke | vásnaihka | vásnahka |
Augmentatives
There are two basic augmentative degrees (besides the basic or zeroth degree), however, it is possible to create even greater degrees by combining the suffixes.
| Degree | Masculine | Feminine | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| singular | dual | plural | singular | dual | plural | |||||||
| long | short | long | short | long | short | long | short | long | short | long | short | |
| Zeroth | -/ | |||||||||||
| First | -iþi | -þi | -iþe | -þe | -iþa | -þa | -ipi | -pħi | -ipe | -pħe | -ipa | -pħa |
| Second | -iti | -ti | -ite | -te | -ita | -ta | -iši | -ši | -iše | -še | -iša | -ša |
| Third | -iþti | -iþte | -iþta | -išpi | -špi | -išpe | -špe | -išpa | -špa | |||
Examples:
| Degree | Masculine | Feminine | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| singular | dual | plural | singular | dual | plural | |||||||
| long | short | long | short | long | short | long | short | long | short | long | short | |
| Zeroth | Êlir | vásna | ||||||||||
| First | Êliriþi | Êlirþi | Êliriþe | Êlirþe | Êliriþa | Êlirþa | vásnaipi | vásnapħi | vásnaipe | vásnapħe | vásnaipa | vásnapħa |
| Second | Êliriti | Êlirti | Êlirite | Êlirte | Êlirita | Êlirta | vásnaiši | vásnaši | vásnaiše | vásnaše | vásnaiša | vásnaša |
| Third | Êliriþti | Êliriþte | Êliriþta | vásnaišpi | vásnašpi | vásnaišpe | vásnašpe | vásnaišpa | vásnašpa | |||
Declensions
| Masculine | Feminine | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| singular | dual | plural | singular | dual | plural | |
| Nom. | -/ | -/ | ||||
| Gen. | -no | -ne | -ni | -ru | -ŗa | -ŗa |
| Dat. | -ŗo | -ŗe | -ŗi | -tu | -ta | -ta |
| Acc. | -mo | -me | -mi | -nu | -na | -na |
| Loc. | -zo | -te | -ti | -lu | -la | -la |
| Inst. | -šo | -še | -ši | -dźu | -dźa | -dźa |
| Classical Laefêvëši pages (obsolete) |
|---|
| Classical Laefêvëši · Nouns · Cases · Adjectives · Pronouns · Numerals · Verbs · Conjugations · Mantjálaj · Adverbs · Prepositions · Vocabulary · Swadesh list |
