Lifashian: Difference between revisions

Lifashian nouns distinguish two numbers (''hamári'', sg. ''hamár'') – '''singular''' (''enikás'') and '''plural''' (''pilifuntikás'') – and four cases (''pitósi'', sg. and pl.) – '''nominative''' (''lónamsyás'' or in older literature ''onomastikás''), '''genitive''' (''gyenikás''), '''dative''' (''dotikás''), and '''accusative''' (''eytiatikás'').  

The first declension of Lifashian contains most masculine nouns, inherited or borrowed. The nominative singular, citation form, ends in ''-as'', ''-s'', ''-sy'', or has no ending.

The second declension contains most feminine nouns. Their citation form always ends in '''-á'''.

The third declension contains nearly all neuter nouns, and its forms in the genitive and dative are identical to the first declension. Its citation form ends in ''-am'' for all native words and some borrowings, or in a vowel plus ''-n'' in other borrowings. Such ''-n'' was often part of the stem in the donor language, but has been treated as an inflection in Lifashian.

Words of the fourth declension are either masculine or feminine. Their citation form ends in ''-é''.

The fifth declension, mostly unproductive, contains neuter nouns whose lemma forms end in ''-é''. They are clearly distinct from 4th declension ones.

Words of the sixth declension are predominantly masculine, ending in ''-i'' in their citation form; its plural forms are the same as in the first declension. Some borrowings are also included in this declension.