Jaspax: Updated from markdown source

2026-02-07T18:23:51Z

Updated from markdown source

Jaspax: Updated from markdown source

2023-05-08T03:48:03Z

Updated from markdown source

New page

[[Category:Yivrian]] [[Category:Languages]] [[Category:Yivrian language]]


= Case and Number =

The Yivrian noun inflects for case and number. In general, Yivrian nouns follow a simple rule whereby case endings are ''suffixed'' to stems which end in a consonant, but ''infixed'' before the final vowel of a stem that ends in a vowel. This general rule is further modified in a number of special cases, but this basic principle is illustrated below.


== C-class nouns ==

The C-class nouns are those which end in a consonant, and which use the suffix ''-i'' as the plural marker. The plural marker follows the case marker.

{|
! Case
! Affix
! ''mirrid'' “wind” (sg)
! (pl)
|-
| Nominative
| (none)
| ''mirrid''
| ''mirridi''
|-
| Genitive
| a-
| ''amirrid''
| ''amirridi''
|-
| Ablative
| -on-
| ''mirridon''
| ''mirridoni''
|-
| Dative
| -os-
| ''mirridos''
| ''mirridosi''
|-
| Malefactive
| ru- -os
| ''rumiridos''
| ''rumirridosi''
|}

(The usage and significance of the cases is discussed below.)


== V-class nouns ==

The V-class nouns are those which end in a vowel, and which use the suffix ''-r'' as a plural marker. The case marker, as mentioned above, is infixed before the final vowel of the stem.

{|
! Case
! Affix
! ''gaimo'' “ewe”
! (pl)
|-
| Nominative
| (none)
| ''gaimo''
| ''gaimor''
|-
| Genitive
| a-
| ''agaimo''
| ''agaimor''
|-
| Ablative
| -on-
| ''gaimono''
| ''gaimonor''
|-
| Dative
| -os-
| ''gaimoso''
| ''gaimosor''
|-
| Malefactive
| ru- -os
| ''rugaimoso''
| ''rugaimosor''
|}


== U-class nouns ==

The U-class nouns are a distinctive set of nouns that end in a consonant and are typically monosyllabic, which are marked by two distinctive features:

* They feature a vowel alternation in the stem. The stem has a '''strong form''', found in the nominative and the genitive, and a '''weak form''' found in all of the other cases.
* They use an alternate form of the case endings featuring a raised vowel.

{|
! Case
! Affix
! ''wel'' “wolf”
! (pl)
|-
| Nominative
| (none)
| ''wel''
| ''weli''
|-
| Genitive
| a-
| ''awel''
| ''aweli''
|-
| Ablative
| -un-
| ''walun''
| ''waluni''
|-
| Dative
| -us-
| ''walus''
| ''walusi''
|-
| Malefactive
| ru- -us
| ''ruwalus''
| ''ruwalusi''
|}

The vowel alternation between the strong and the weak form of the U-class nouns is predictable, and follows the following pattern:

{|
! Strong vowel
! Weak vowel
|-
| e, o
| a
|-
| i
| e
|-
| u
| o
|-
| ei, oi
| ai
|-
| ii
| ei
|-
| ui
| oi
|}

(Note that diphthongs are uncommon in U-class nouns, but are listed in this table for completeness.)


== Minor classes ==

The following noun classes are largely the same as one of the three classes above, but they exhibit minor additional alternations or complications.


=== K-class nouns ===

The K-class nouns are a variant of the V-class nouns which exhibit an alternation between ''s'' and ''k'' in the dative and malefactive cases.

{|
! Case
! Affix
! ''vassa'' “song”
!align="center"| (pl)
|-
| Nominative
| (none)
| ''vassa''
|align="center"| ''vassar''
|-
| Genitive
| a-
| ''avassa''
|align="center"| ''avassar''
|-
| Ablative
| -on-
| ''vassona''
|align="center"| ''vassona''
|-
| Dative
| -os-
| ''vakosa''
|align="center"| ''vakosar''
|-
| Malefactive
| ru- -os
| ''ruvakosa''
|align="center"| ''ruvakosar''
|}


=== IND-class nouns ===

The IND-class nouns are a variant of the U-class nouns which are characterized by the ending ''-ind'' in the nominative and dative, which is dropped in the other three cases. These nouns are, as a rule, disyllabic in the nominative but have a monosyllabic stem in the other cases, and they do ''not'' show a vowel alternation.

{|
! Case
! Affix
! ''akind'' “knot”
!align="center"| (pl)
|-
| Nominative
| (none)
| ''akind''
|align="center"| ''akindi''
|-
| Genitive
| a-
| ''aakind''
|align="center"| ''aakindi''
|-
| Ablative
| -un-
| ''akun''
|align="center"| ''akuni''
|-
| Dative
| -us-
| ''akus''
|align="center"| ''akusi''
|-
| Malefactive
| ru- -us
| ''ruakus''
|align="center"| ''ruakusi''
|}


== Semantics of the noun cases ==

(This section probably could use a lot more detail.)

Yivrian is, at its core, a nominative/accusative language, and the usage of the cases will be mostly analogous to those familiar with European case systems, though there are some wrinkles.

* The '''nominative''' is used as:
** The reference form for all nouns
** The subject of sentences (transitive or intransitive)
** The object of active verbs (equivalent to the accusative in European languages)
** The object of adjectival prepositions (that is, prepositional phrases that occur within a noun phrase)
* The '''genitive''' is used to indicate possessors.
* The '''ablative''' is a very diverse case, the result of phonological collision between multiple ancestral cases:
** Meaning ''at this time'' when used with nouns indicating time or occasions
** Meaning ''in this place'' when used with nouns indicating places
** Instrumental when used with nouns for inanimate objects: ''using X'' or ''by means of X''
** The agent of a verb in the passive voice
** The object of adverbial prepositions (that is, prepositional phrases that are not part of a noun phrase and modify the verb or the sentence as a whole)
* The '''dative''' is used as:
** The recipient or beneficiary of an action, especially in ditransitive verbs
** The object of most stative verbs
* The '''malefactive''' is a variant of the dative which is usually used to indicate that someone is harmed or deprived by an action:
** The recipient of an action with ditransitive verbs, when the recipient is harmed
** With an elative meaning when used alongside the dative, i.e. “I take something from you (malefactive) for him (dative)”
** The object of some stative verbs with negative affect

(I should provide examples of all of these elsewhere.)

Yivrian nouns - Revision history

Jaspax: Updated from markdown source

Jaspax: Updated from markdown source