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The indefinite singular article is '''yn''', which also means 'one'. It also causes initial consonants to mutate on feminine nouns. The indefinite plural article is the preposition '''di''' combined with the definite article: '''di llo h-on''', ''some men''. In the spoken language it is contracted and pronounced as '''ddlo'''. The same happens with feminine plurals: '''ddla'''. However the creator himself doesn't favor this particular feature.<ref>(''The creator of Brithenig thinks this is an ugly feature and doesn't use it. Any student of the language is free to make their own choice - Andrew''.)</ref> | The indefinite singular article is '''yn''', which also means 'one'. It also causes initial consonants to mutate on feminine nouns. The indefinite plural article is the preposition '''di''' combined with the definite article: '''di llo h-on''', ''some men''. In the spoken language it is contracted and pronounced as '''ddlo'''. The same happens with feminine plurals: '''ddla'''. However the creator himself doesn't favor this particular feature.<ref>(''The creator of Brithenig thinks this is an ugly feature and doesn't use it. Any student of the language is free to make their own choice - Andrew''.)</ref> | ||
Common nouns must always have an article. A notable exception is a genitive construction that alternatives with the use of '''di''' as possessive marker in Brithenig. Normally the only way to say 'the man's house' in Romance languages is to | Common nouns must always have an article. A notable exception is a genitive construction that alternatives with the use of '''di''' as possessive marker in Brithenig. Normally the only way to say 'the man's house' in Romance languages is to rearrange it to mean 'the house of the man', '''lla gas di'll of'''. But there is an alternative form called the genitive construction. The preposition '''di''' is omitted along with the definite article of the possessed object. The possessed object comes first, followed by the possessor: | ||
:'''cas ill of''', ''the man's house, the house of the man'' | :'''cas ill of''', ''the man's house, the house of the man'' | ||
:'''cas yn of''', ''a man's house, the house of a man'' | :'''cas yn of''', ''a man's house, the house of a man'' | ||
In this case the possessed object is always understood as being | In this case the possessed object is always understood as being definite, it cannot be understood as 'a house of . . .' It is not uncommon in poetic literature, but can also be translated as '''lla gas di'll of''', or '''lla gas d'yn of'''. It is often avoided when the possessed object is plural to avoid confusion, as there is no way to indicate plurality other than context. | ||
Many words expressing unspecified quantities, such as '''asset''', 'enough'; '''mullt''', 'many'; '''tan''', 'too much'; are also followed by '''di'''. | Many words expressing unspecified quantities, such as '''asset''', 'enough'; '''mullt''', 'many'; '''tan''', 'too much'; are also followed by '''di'''. | ||