Grammar
Noun Inflections
The primitive case suffixes are:
| Role |
Suffix |
Notes
|
| Absolutive |
-Ø |
Often used in place of the genitive and objective.
|
| Nominative |
-no |
Can be used as a genitive
|
| Objective |
-ni |
Can be used for datives if the absolutive is being used for the direct object.
|
| Lative |
-e |
|
| Partitive |
-Te (de) |
Can be used as a locative and plural suffix
|
| Comitative |
-la |
Can be used as a locative and plural suffix
|
| Essive |
-na |
Can be used as an instrumental, acts like Japanese -de
|
More complex cases can be formed using spacial nouns and combinations of -ni, -e, -Te and -la.
Phrase-final clitics
The following clitics are able to be added onto the end of a larger phrase and do not act as case particles necessarily.
| Meaning/role |
Clitic |
Notes
|
| Questions, "or" |
-me(e), -mai, -ma |
from older -ma-i
|
| Or, and, but |
-že (ze) |
(je, ze?)
|
| And, also, too |
-mo |
|
| Also, even, too |
-Ki (gi) |
|
| And, introducing new topics |
-va |
|
Pronouns
| Person |
Singular |
Plural
|
| 1st person |
mïn |
maa
|
| 2nd person |
tïn |
taa
|
| 2nd person (honorific) |
nei |
nei, neinei
|
| 3rd person (human) |
nin, lin ("fellow") |
ikko ("group")
|
| 3rd person (animate) |
yaya |
yeye
|
| 3rd person (inanimate) |
too (dimin. noo) |
tee (dimin. nee)
|
Vocabulary
- kot (kut, kudo, kota?) - house, tent, chum, goahti, yurt, tipi
- koč(i) - flower
- kus(u), kuš(i) - duck, goose, waterfowl
- miš(i) - cat
- moo - tree
- nam(u) - tree, wood
- ne - meow, cry made by a small animal or child
- nok(u) (nuk(u)? nuka?) - (wild) dog (housedog = inoku)
- šuvu - falcon, lightly built bird of prey
- teme - camel
- yur(u) - house