53
edits
Thrichian: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
→NOUNS
(→NOUNS) |
(→NOUNS) |
||
| Line 520: | Line 520: | ||
|Accusative || nú || núth || númh || nús | |Accusative || nú || núth || númh || nús | ||
|- | |- | ||
|Genitive || núvain || núvainth || núvaimh | |Genitive || núvain || núvainth || núvaimh || núvains | ||
|- | |- | ||
|Allative || nuvvá || nuvváth || nuvvámh || nuvvás | |Allative || nuvvá || nuvváth || nuvvámh || nuvvás | ||
| Line 533: | Line 533: | ||
|} | |} | ||
- these four nouns follow the same declension pattern, by substituting nú/nu- for ró/ro- one gets the same result | - these four nouns follow the same declension pattern, by substituting ''nú/nu-'' for ''ró/ro-'' one gets the same result | ||
'''THE CASES''' | |||
Thrichian has 7 grammatical cases (sometimes considered 8 with the partitive prefix ton-). These cases convey information about the role of the noun within the sentence. Each one, although it can be assigned a name within real-world linguistic terms, has distinct uses and rules. | |||
The '''nominative''' is used for the subject of the sentence, as well as being the form which appears after most prepositions. | |||
The '''accusative''' is for the direct object of the sentence. | |||
The '''genitive''' plays a role in possession. The genitive is used to show that an object is possessing something else. On the other hand, to show that an object is being possessed by, or is related to another, the suffix -ltha is used, instead. These two may be used in conjunction. | |||
The genitive can be used to create a noun possessed by, or related to, its headword, but not the word itself. For example, in the sentence Thriehččainne l‘ása puonen – Thrichian (ie.: the thing that belongs to Thrichia > its language) is the best language. Here the word ása is not used because it would be redundant. Instead, it is assumed to be the same as inferred by the suffix. This suffix is related to the -nne suffix of adjectives which does the same thing. | |||
The '''allative''' marks the indirect object of a sentence. It also stands in for, or stands with, the preposition ar, meaning to/for. It expressed intention, destination and concepts of giving. In the phrase ''I‘m going to Thrichia'' or ''I‘m giving it to you'', the allative would be used. | |||
The '''ablative''' case is also used in the sense of giving and receiving and possession. It expresses place of origin or creator, as well as possessor of an object in the expression mhaen lė (from me is…) meaning I have. | |||
The ablative is also used in expressions of comparison. Más pealagazgė anthaen. – The sea is deeper than the lake. The preposition tíe can be added before the noun. | |||
The '''perlative''' case has the widest variety of uses. The name may be misleading, because the least common of its uses is that of expressing adjacency. It can be used to turn an infinitive into a progressive (run > running) or express location within a city, country or neighbourhood (mhë lė Tígu vekagaith – I am on Tígu street). In conjunction with the preposition ë it can mean in, on, by or any generic location. | |||
The comitative expresses means or tools by which something is done. For example, one travels by train or one opens a door with a key. These are instances where the comitative would be used in Thrichian. It can also be used to express companionship or placement next to, or in conjunction with, another object or person. It would be used in the phrase I am with my friend or the car is with the mechanic. | |||
Although the meaning of these cases is explicit, sometimes prepositions can be used in conjunction with them. The above example given, ë with the perlative suffix -gaith expresses something different from the perlative on its own. The same can be said for the allative and the preposition ar. This topic will be discussed in the segment for prepositions. | |||
'''IRREGULAR STEMS''' | |||
Many monosyllabic nouns, or nouns ending in a lengthened vowel, have irregular stems when declined. Sometimes, voiced consonants appear in declension which do not appear in the default nominative singular, which is listed in dictionaries. These voiced consonants, most often v/g, are remnants from old pronunciations. For example, '''nú''' (word) becomes '''núvas''' in the plural. This is because, in Old Thrichian, the nominative singular was núvu, but the v was lost. In some words, the former consonant can still be found, such as in nuvin (verbose). | |||
The rule which caused this irregularity occurred in Middle Thrichian. It caused all voiced plosives between identical vowels would disappear. Thus, the nominative ''núvu'' was affected as ''nú'', while '''nuvvá''' ''(to the word)'' in the allative, was not. The same rule applies to some verbs, so much so that in Modern Thrichian, it has become a grammatical rule to insert a -g- in conjugation of verbs ending in a diphthong. Many of these verbs which, in Middle Thrichian, would have been conjugated regularly. | |||
Some nouns are defective. They lack forms in certain grammatical cases. The most notable occurrence is má meaning love. This noun can appear in all cases except for the allative. This is likely because the allative suffix -á could not be added to the stem with ease. It would produce *máá or the homonym *má which may cause confusion. Therefore the preposition ar is needed in the allative and má stays the same. | |||
''one breath for love'' | |||
'''co fuoz ar má ''' | |||
''má l‘auma eá finazgė'' | |||
'''love is all that matters''' | |||
'''NOUN COUNTABILITY''' | |||
Certain nouns which appear in the singular form are uncountable, meaning they do not have a specified quantity or unit. Such nouns include pála (water) '''tizgu''' ''(sand)'' and '''tima''' ''(wind)''. | |||
The prefix ton- can be added to form plurals, duals or paucals with inferred units. For example, pála can be pluralized as tompálas. This means waters, as in many units of water (seas, lakes, etc…) | |||
This prefix ton- is also used as a partitive. When a set number of units of an immeasurable substance is referred to, the ton- form appears in the nominative. ''8 aitas tompála'' – 8 cups of water. The prefix ton- in conjunction with the diminutive suffix -iktea is used to mean a little bit of, such as in ''mhë tompáliktė vaim'' – I‘d like a bit of water. | |||
Thrichian, unlike most languages, has four distinct numbers. English speakers are used to only two: singular and plural. If there is more than one of something, there must be many. In Thrichian, this is not the case. There are four tiers to convey information about quantity. | |||
'''Singular''' of course refers to one of something. A noun also appears in its singular form if it is a mass-noun like pála (water). | |||
'''Dual''' refers to a set or pair of things. A couple people or eyeglasses are both examples of the dual. Because of the dual being expressed with suffixes (ending in -th) often the number mith (two) can be omitted, such as in ''mhë elėth uoló'' – I saw two reindeer. | |||
'''Paucal''' refers to a small group of things, usually three to five, or even up to ten. This is used where one might use a plural in English for things which are very limited or scarce. | |||
'''Plural''' is used generally for things which have an unknown or large quantity (over ten.) | |||