9,167
edits
Bpnjohnson (talk | contribs) |
Bpnjohnson (talk | contribs) m (→Nouns) |
||
Line 467: | Line 467: | ||
===Absolutive=== | ===Absolutive=== | ||
The absolutive particle | The absolutive particle ''ū'' is placed after a subject noun which does not take a direct object. This is always the case with intransitive verbs, and can also be the case with optionally transitive verbs with no object. | ||
===Ergative=== | ===Ergative=== | ||
The counterpart to absolutive is ergative. Any noun which takes a direct object must be marked with the particle | The counterpart to absolutive is ergative. Any noun which takes a direct object must be marked with the particle ''ī''. (This particle is always paired with another noun phrase containing the particle ''ā'', and vice versa.) | ||
===Accusative=== | ===Accusative=== | ||
The accusative (or direct object) of any verb is marked with the particle | The accusative (or direct object) of any verb is marked with the particle ''ā''. (This particle is always paired with another noun phrase containing the particle ''ī'', and vice versa.) | ||
===Genitive=== | ===Genitive=== | ||
The genitive particle | The genitive particle ''au'' indicates that the noun belongs to, is a part of, or is related to another noun. The genitive particle can be thought of as equivalent to the English clitic ''’s'', though it has a few different uses as well, such as forming the possessive pronouns (‘my’, ‘her’, ‘their’, &c), or translating the words ‘of’ or ‘from’. | ||
===Dative=== | ===Dative=== | ||
The dative particle | The dative particle ''ai'' indicates that the noun is an indirect object of some kind. The dative case is a bit ambiguous in most languages, and can often be replaced by various prepositions (such as ‘to’, ‘for’, or ‘towards’). | ||
===Oblique=== | ===Oblique=== |