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As for further classification, morphological criteria are not sufficient to serve as a basis for distinguishing any subclasses (such as “adjectives” and “numerals”). Also, no evidence exists of any separable group of indeclinable words (“adverbs”). For instance, space relationships were expressed by regularly declined spatial nouns, used both independently and in postposition constructions (as nominal postpositions). Undoubtedly, however, there existed in PU some kind of extra-grammatical group of utterances (“interjections” and the like). | As for further classification, morphological criteria are not sufficient to serve as a basis for distinguishing any subclasses (such as “adjectives” and “numerals”). Also, no evidence exists of any separable group of indeclinable words (“adverbs”). For instance, space relationships were expressed by regularly declined spatial nouns, used both independently and in postposition constructions (as nominal postpositions). Undoubtedly, however, there existed in PU some kind of extra-grammatical group of utterances (“interjections” and the like). | ||
===Nominal categories=== | |||
====Derived stems==== | |||
Practically all possible phonological shapes were used in the large stock of PU denominal and deverbal nominal suffixes. The most common and most reliably reconstructable types comprise such as : stop, stop+vowel, stop+stop+vowel (possibly incl. geminate stop+vowel), nasal, nasal+vowel, nasal+stop+vowel, sibiliant+vowel, liquid+vowel, glide. However, except for some of the verbal noun suffixes, the exact function of the derivative elements remain largely obscure. For most of the denominal suffixes only a vague "diminutive meaning" can be reconstructed. Among the few functionally clear cases are: ''*-mpå/-mpä'' for denoting local contrast (later becoming the comparative suffix in Finnic-Lapp and Hungarian), ''*-mtV''for order (ordinal numbers and pronouns), and the complex caritive suffix ''-*ktåmå/-ktämä''. | |||
The suffixes for intensification of deixis in pronouns, such as ''*-m, *-n, *-mV, *-nV'', are a special case, since these may have had an additional function. By adding a syllable to the monosyllabic pronoun stem, it was possible to remove the structural difference between the deictic elements and the rest of the lexicon. | |||
Grammatically the derived stems did not differ in any way from the stems without derivative elements. | |||
====Number==== | |||
The absolute form of the noun could probably be used collectively for indefinite number. The use of a suffix for denoting non-singular number may in Pre-U have originally had an additional defining or individualizing function. However, in PU, at least the plural suffixes were obviously often used without regard to this limiting condition. | |||