Nurian/Old/Morphology

Standard Nurian is the most conservative Talmic language morphology-wise; it preserves much of Thensarian morphology.

Nouns

Nurian nouns have one of three genders (masculine, feminine, neuter) and inflect in two numbers (singular and plural) and in case/state (absolute nominative, absolute genitive, construct).

Nouns and adjectives fall into predetermined declension classes, regardless of the Thensarian etymology. Exceptions are some irregular nouns and adjectives.

Masculine nouns

Masculine nouns typically end in -ą, -į, -ų, or -ūr.

-ą nouns:

aġġiakkāt-ą 'pasta guitar-like musical instrument'

		Singular	Plural
Absolute	Nominative	aġġiakkāt-ą	aġġiakkāt-ai
	Genitive	aġġiakkāt-ū	aġġiakkāt-uoni, -uon
Construct		aġġiakkāt-at	aġġiakkāt-abeh

-į nouns:

thab-į 'plant, vegetable'

		Singular	Plural
Absolute	Nominative	thab-į	thab-ieh
	Genitive	thab-ei	thab-īni, -īn
Construct		thab-it	thab-ibeh

-ų nouns:

fannh-ų 'sea'

		Singular	Plural
Absolute	Nominative	fannh-ų	fannh-ūh
	Genitive	fannh-ui	fannh-ūni, -ūn
Construct		fannh-ut	fannh-ubeh

Feminine nouns

Feminine nouns typically end in -ai, -ei, -ī, -i, or -ui.

-ai nouns:

gand-ai 'body'

		Singular	Plural
Absolute	Nominative	gand-ai	gand-ar
	Genitive	gand-ia	gand-āni, -ān
Construct		gand-ąs	gand-ābeh

-ei nouns:

tīm-ei 'hand'

		Singular	Plural
Absolute	Nominative	tīm-ei	tīm-er
	Genitive	tīm-ia	tīm-ēni, -ēn
Construct		tīm-ęs	tīm-ēbeh

-ui nouns:

maċċi-ui 'snake'

		Singular	Plural
Absolute	Nominative	maċċi-ui	maċċi-ur
	Genitive	maċċi-a	maċċi-ūni, -ūn
Construct		maċċi-ųs	maċċi-ūbeh

-ī nouns:

aill-ī 'love'

		Singular	Plural
Absolute	Nominative	aill-ī	aill-ir
	Genitive	aill-ia	aill-īni, -īn
Construct		aill-įs	aill-ībeh

-i nouns:

tam-i 'leaf'

		Singular	Plural
Absolute	Nominative	tam-i	tam-ar
	Genitive	tam-ia	tam-īni, -īn
Construct		tam-ąs	tam-ibeh

Neuter nouns

Neuter nouns end in -ah, -ih, -uh, -h, or sometimes other consonants.

-ah nouns:

tett-ah 'child'

		Singular	Plural
Absolute	Nominative	tett-ah	tett-ų
	Genitive	tett-ą	tett-uoni, -uon
Construct		tett-at	tett-abeh

-ih nouns:

vel-ih 'name'

		Singular	Plural
Absolute	Nominative	vel-ih	vel-ių
	Genitive	vel-į	vel-īni, -īn
Construct		vel-it	vel-ibeh

Also: davih 'valley'

-uh nouns:

ċhid-uh 'herd'

		Singular	Plural
Absolute	Nominative	ċhid-uh	ċhid-ų
	Genitive	ċhid-ų	ċhid-ūni, -ūn
Construct		ċhid-ut	ċhid-ubeh

C-stem nouns, C = h (from Thensarian φ):

thūs 'fire'

		Singular	Plural
Absolute	Nominative	thūs	thuh-ą
	Genitive	thuh-ą	thuh-uoni, -uon
Construct		thuh-et	thuh-ibeh

C-stem nouns, C = t, th, d:

bies 'stem'

		Singular	Plural
Absolute	Nominative	bies	bied-ą
	Genitive	bied-ą	bied-uoni, -uon
Construct		bied-et	bied-ibeh

Also kammąs, kammantą 'wife' (grammatically feminine).

C-stem nouns, C = k, kh, g:

ȝażīs 'wool'

		Singular	Plural
Absolute	Nominative	ȝażīs	ȝażik-ą
	Genitive	ȝażik-ą	ȝażik-uoni, -uon
Construct		ȝażiċ-et	ȝażik-ibeh

ȝ-stem nouns:

jen-āh 'water'

		Singular	Plural
Absolute	Nominative	jen-āh	jen-aȝą
	Genitive	jen-aȝą	jen-aȝuoni, -uon
Construct		jen-āt	jen-ābeh

ħ-stem nouns:

hel-āh 'horn'

		Singular	Plural
Absolute	Nominative	hel-āh	hel-aħą
	Genitive	hel-aħą	hel-aħuoni, -uon
Construct		hel-āt	hel-ābeh

C-stem nouns, C none of the above:

uor 'sound'

		Singular	Plural
Absolute	Nominative	uor	uor-ą
	Genitive	uor-ą	uor-uoni, -uon
Construct		uor-et	uor-ibeh

Adjectives

Declension

a adjectives

lhām-ą 'good'

		Singular			Plural
		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Absolute	Nominative	lhām-ą	lhām-ai	lhām-ah	lhām-ę	lhām-ar	lhām-ų
	Genitive	lhām-ū	lhām-ia	lhām-ā	lhām-uon(i)	lhām-ān(i)	lhām-uon(i)
Construct		lhām-at	lhām-ąs	lhām-at	lhām-abeh	lhām-ābeh	lhām-abeh

i adjectives

kiāδ-į 'wet'

		Singular			Plural
		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Absolute	Nominative	kiāδ-į	kiāδ-ī	kiāδ-ih	kiāδ-ieh	kiāδ-ir	kiāδ-ių
	Genitive	kiāδ-ei	kiāδ-ia	kiāδ-į	kiāδ-īn(i)	kiāδ-īn(i)	kiāδ-īn(i)
Construct		kiāδ-it	kiāδ-įs	kiāδ-it	kiāδ-ibeh	kiāδ-ībeh	kiāδ-ibeh

u adjectives

rhat-ų 'salty'

		Singular			Plural
		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Absolute	Nominative	rhat-ų	rhat-ui	rhat-uh	rhat-ūh	rhat-ur	rhat-ų
	Genitive	rhat-ui	rhat-ia	rhat-ų	rhat-ūn(i)	rhat-ūn(i)	rhat-ūn(i)
Construct		rhat-ut	rhat-ųs	rhat-ut	rhat-ubeh	rhat-ūbeh	rhat-ubeh

C adjectives

nhangatą 'loyal'

		Singular			Plural
		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Absolute	Nominative	nhangatą	nhangati	nhangās	nhangatāh	nhangatar	nhangatą
	Genitive	nhangatū	nhangatia	nhangatą	nhangatuon(i)	nhangatān(i)	nhangatuon(i)
Construct		nhangatet	nhangatąs	nhangatet	nhangatibeh	nhangatibeh	nhangatibeh

Degree

Comparative is formed by reduplication.

Superlative: -ussą, -ussani, -ussąs

Verbs

Preverbs

• aC- = some kind of applicative
• di- = in, into
• hei- = with

Object affixes

Object affixes fall between the preverb and the root.

TAM

Present

Person	tussāni "I pray" (a-stem)	tareni "I bloom, flourish" (e-stem)	aillini "I love" (i-stem)	kassani "I eat" (ablaut stem)
1SG	tussāni	tareni	aillini	kassani
2SG	tussāri	tareri	ailliri	kassari
3SG.M	tussą	tarę	aillį	kassą
3SG.F	tussāh	tareh	aillih	kassah
3SG.N	tussā	tare	ailli	kassa
1EX	tussāme	tareme	aillime	kassame
1IN	tussānti	tarenti	aillinti	kassanti
2PL	tussāċhi	tareċhi	ailliċhi	kassaċhi
3PL	tussāti	tareti	ailliti	kassati

Present progressive

Person	tussāni "I pray" (a-stem)	tareni "I bloom, flourish" (e-stem)	aillini "I love" (i-stem)	kassani "I eat" (ablaut stem)
1SG	tussānih	tarenih	aillinih	kassanih
2SG	tussārih	tarerih	aillirih	kassarih
3SG.M	tussamih	taremih	aillimih	kassamih
3SG.F	tussāsih	taresih	aillisih	kassasih
3SG.N	tussamih	taremih	aillimih	kassamih
1EX	tussāmēh	taremēh	aillimēh	kassamēh
1IN	tussāntih	tarentih	aillintih	kassantih
2PL	tussāċhih	tareċhih	ailliċhih	kassaċhih
3PL	tussātih	taretih	aillitih	kassatih

Imperfect

Reduplication rules:

• If word begins with C, redup first CV (V is shortened)

Preterite

Person	tussāni "I pray" (a-stem)	tareni "I bloom, flourish" (e-stem)	aillini "I love" (i-stem)	kassani "I eat" (ablaut stem)
1SG	tussādī	taredī	aillidī	ċēdī
2SG	tussai	tarī	aillī	ċēvȳ
3SG.M	tussāmhi	taremhi	aillimhi	ċēmhi
3SG.F	tussātthi	taretthi	aillitthi	ċētthi
3SG.N	tussāsa	taresa	aillisa	ċēsa
1EX	tussāmer	taremer	aillimer	ċēmer
1IN	tussānter	tarenter	aillinter	ċēnter
2PL	tussāċher	tareċher	ailliċher	ċēċher
3PL	tussāti	tareti	ailliti	ċēter

Future

Person	tussāni "I pray" (a-stem)	tareni "I bloom, flourish" (e-stem)	aillini "I love" (i-stem)	kassani "I eat" (ablaut stem)
1SG	tussātēni	taretēni	aillitēni	kāthēni
2SG	tussātēri	taretēri	aillitēri	kāthēri
3SG.M	tussātę	taretę	aillitę	kāthę
3SG.F	tussātēh	taretēh	aillitēh	kāthēh
3SG.N	tussātē	taretē	aillitē	kāthē
1EX	tussātēmē	taretēmē	aillitēmē	kāthēmē
1IN	tussātenti	taretenti	aillitenti	kāthēnti
2PL	tussātēċhi	taretēċhi	aillitēċhi	kāthēċhi
3PL	tussātēti	taretēti	aillitēti	kāthēti

Infinitives

Like Finnish but unlike Thensarian, Nurian has several infinitives.

1st infinitive: -h or -uh: tussah, kassuh

2nd infinitive: -ākah: tussākah, kassākah