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Cumbraek: Difference between revisions
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===Nouns=== | ===Nouns=== | ||
Nouns are either masculine or feminine in gender. | Nouns are either masculine or feminine in gender. Grammatical gender is an inherent fact of the noun and cannot always be deduced from the form or meaning of the word. Colloquially, nouns referring to persons sometimes alter their grammatical gender to reflect the natural gender of the person, for example the masculine noun ''er postidh'' "the postman, postal worker" could be rendered as ''er bostidh'' to mean "the postwoman". | ||
Plurals may be formed in one of several ways: | Plurals may be formed in one of several ways: | ||
* by adding an ending, most commonly ''-ow, -yow, -yon, -on, -edh, -ot'' (e.g. ''cadow'' 'battles', ''dinyon'' 'people, men', ''cathot'' 'cats') | * by adding an ending, most commonly ''-ow, -yow, -yon, -on, -edh, -ot'' (e.g. ''cadow'' 'battles', ''dinyon'' 'people, men', ''cathot'' 'cats') | ||
* by alternation (e.g. ''bran'' 'raven' → ''bren'', ''oyn'' 'lamb' → ''oon'') | * by [[Cumbraek#Vowel Mutations|alternation]] (e.g. ''bran'' 'raven' → ''bren'', ''oyn'' 'lamb' → ''oon'') | ||
* by adding an ending plus alternation (e.g. ''gwrek'' 'woman' → ''gwragedh'', ''map'' 'boy, son' → ''mebyon'') | * by adding an ending plus alternation (e.g. ''gwrek'' 'woman' → ''gwragedh'', ''map'' 'boy, son' → ''mebyon'') | ||
* irregularly (e.g. ''ci'' 'dog' → ''cun'', ''didh'' 'day' → ''diow'', ''ti'' 'house' → ''tei'', ''hwair'' 'sister' → ''hwioredh'', ''broadur'' 'brother' → ''brodir'') | * irregularly (e.g. ''ci'' 'dog' → ''cun'', ''didh'' 'day' → ''diow'', ''ti'' 'house' → ''tei'', ''hwair'' 'sister' → ''hwioredh'', ''broadur'' 'brother' → ''brodir'') | ||
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* the genitive of possession is shown by placing the genitive noun after the thing possessed (e.g. ''ti Neven'' 'Neven's house', ''gwrek mu tat'' 'my father's wife') | * the genitive of possession is shown by placing the genitive noun after the thing possessed (e.g. ''ti Neven'' 'Neven's house', ''gwrek mu tat'' 'my father's wife') | ||
* some intransitive verbs such as ''devot'' 'come' and ''munet'' 'go' permit the indirect object to behave as if it were the direct object of a transitive verb, allowing the preposition to be dropped (e.g. compare ''mi carav Yowann'' 'I love John' with ''mi av Lounnen'' 'I am going (to) London'). | * some intransitive verbs such as ''devot'' 'come' and ''munet'' 'go' permit the indirect object to behave as if it were the direct object of a transitive verb, allowing the preposition to be dropped (e.g. compare ''mi carav Yowann'' 'I love John' with ''mi av Lounnen'' 'I am going (to) London'). | ||
* nouns in the vocative are preceded by the particle ''a''<sup>L</sup> (e.g. ''a Vathow!'' 'Matthew!'). This particle may be dropped in speech, particularly before a vowel, but lenition is always retained (e.g. ''oucher da, Vathow'' 'good evening, Matthew'). | * nouns in the vocative are preceded by the particle ''a''<sup>L</sup> (e.g. ''a Vathow!'' 'Matthew!'). This particle may be dropped in speech, particularly before a vowel, but lenition is always retained (e.g. ''oucher da, Vathow'' 'good evening, Matthew'). | ||
===Adjectives=== | ===Adjectives=== | ||