Pı̇ħ morphology
- Main article: Pı̇ħ
This page gives an extensive description of Pı̇ħ morphological features.
As already mentioned, Pı̇ħ is a morphologically isolating language. Each lexeme does not undergo any morphological mutation. Syntactical roles are thus entirely expressed by syntax and word order. Lexemes can, however, combine in many derivative processes.
Nouns
Nouns in Pı̇ħ usually have a monosyllabic form, or a multisyllabic form, if morphologically derived.
On the morphological level nouns display no number, case or definiteness, exhibiting always the same unaltered form:
hu̇ħ wolf - a wolf - the wolf - wolves - the wolves
A process similar to pluralization, conveying the meaning of an undefined amount bigger than one, can be achieved by placing the pluralizing particle ʔẹ after the noun:
hu̇ħ ʔẹ a lot of wolves
This particle has, however, a very marked use and highlight the meaning of a large quantity of the said entities or items.
Adjectives and pronouns
Adjectives closely resemble the noun form, not displaying any morphological change for either number, case or definiteness. Pronouns, while also morphologically unchanging, may exhibit different forms in the root form.
Adjectives
Attributive adjectives are always placed before the nouns they specify, while predicative adjectives are always placed after them.
qat nɔɴqɛ̣h the young man
nɔɴqɛ̣h qat ʔjɛ̇ħ the man is young
Personal pronouns
Personal pronouns feature a distinction between three persons:
| ŋọ | |
| sȧ | |
| ɬė |
Unlike any other elements of the sentence, the personal pronouns compulsorily distinguish the number singular from the plural, by placing the plural particle ʔẹ after them:
| ŋọ | ŋọ ʔẹ | |
| sȧ | sȧ ʔẹ | |
| ɬė | ɬė ʔẹ |
The 3st person pronoun usually refers to semantically animate or human entities, although it may technically refer to every entity. For inanimate or unreal entities, demonostrative adjectives or pronouns are rather used.
All forms, if adjoined by the postposition sėj, play the role of an indeclinable possessive adjective, being placed before a noun, or the role of indeclinable possessive pronoun, being placed before a demonstrative pronominal form.
ŋọ sėj ta sȧ ʔẹ sėj ma su̇h xȯ my father saw your mother
ŋọ sėj ta sȧ ʔẹ sėj tjı̣n su̇h xȯ my father saw yours
Interrogative adjectives and pronouns
The basic interrogative adjective is:
- which: xọh
It can play the role of a basic interrogative pronoun, if used alone. Other interrogative forms, however, can be built by using the interrogative adjective with other generic or specific nouns or also with postpositions:
- xọh ɬjı̇k: which thing? = what?
- xọh qɛ̣h: which person? = who?
- xọh ŋɛ (rɔ/cew): which time? = when?
- xọh ŋɛ: which amount? = how much, how many? (requires the partitive postposition)
Within an interrogative clause, pronouns usually are usually placed in their syntactical position according to their role.
Numerals
The numeral system relies on a decimal base.
Cardinal numerals
The first ten cardinal numbers are forms on their own:
| xȯħ | |
| mɛ̣s | |
| caw | |
| ŋuɸ | |
| pın | |
| tɛjħ | |
| qȧt | |
| mạn | |
| sju̇n | |
| ɬajn |
Numerals from 11 to 19 are built with the construction ɬajn + NUM:
| ɬajn xȯħ | |
| ɬajn mɛ̣s | |
| ɬajn caw | |
| ɬajn ŋuɸ | |
| ɬajn pın | |
| ɬajn tɛjħ | |
| ɬajn qȧt | |
| ɬajn mạn | |
| ɬajn sju̇n |
The numeral for (one) hundred is a form on its own:
| kjıp |
The numerals for the multiples of tens and hundreds and thousands are built with the construction NUM + ŋɛ (time(s)) + ɬajn / kjıp:
| mɛ̣s ŋɛ ɬajn | mɛ̣s ŋɛ kjıp | |
| caw ŋɛ ɬajn | caw ŋɛ kjıp | |
| ŋuɸ ŋɛ ɬajn | ŋuɸ ŋɛ kjıp | |
| pın ŋɛ ɬajn | pın ŋɛ kjıp | |
| tɛjħ ŋɛ ɬajn | tɛjħ ŋɛ kjıp | |
| qȧt ŋɛ ɬajn | qȧt ŋɛ kjıp | |
| mạn ŋɛ ɬajn | mạn ŋɛ kjıp | |
| sju̇n ŋɛ ɬajn | sju̇n ŋɛ kjıp |
Numbers above the multiples of hundreds have no name and are specified by the lesser numerals.
Composite numbers are built by just putting them beside, without any conjunction, in descending order:
- 985: sju̇n ŋɛ kjıp mạn ŋɛ ɬajn pın
Cardinal numerals usually precede their adjoining noun cluster, as an adjectival form. However, every numeral can be optionally preceded with a noun cluster followed by the partitive postposition ɬjȯ .
tɛjħ qon or qon ɬjȯ tɛjħ six dogs
With semantically uncountable nouns and with pronouns, the partitive postposition is mandatorily used, with the meaning of “X units of Y”:
kɛ̇wm ɬjȯ tɛjħ six pieces/parts/balls/etc. of wool
ŋọ ʔẹ ɬjȯ sju̇n nine of us
Ordinal numerals
Ordinal numerals are formed by putting the particle sė after the cardinal numeral form:
| xȯħ sė | |
| mɛ̣s sė | |
| caw sė | |
| ŋuɸ sė | |
| pın sė | |
| tɛjħ sė | |
| qȧt sė | |
| mạn sė | |
| sju̇n sė | |
| ɬajn sė |
If the numeral form is composite, the ending is added only to the last numeral form:
- 25th: mạn ŋɛ ɬajn pın sė
Verbs
Verbs in Pı̇ħ language usually have a monosyllabic form, or a multisyllabic form, if morphologically derived. Each verbal form carries only the semantical information, while other features are conveyed by other grammatic particles.
On the morphological level the verb display no person, or number, exhibiting always the same unaltered form:
rjos (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) hear
The verbal person is conveyed by nouns and personal pronouns, which can convey also the number, unlike nouns:
ŋọ rjos I hear
sȧ ʔẹ rjos you (pl.) hear
The verb, however, can be adjoined by particles, which convey either the aspectual or the temporal value of an action or a state. The set of the verb form, carrying the meaning, together with the temporal and the aspectual particles is called verb cluster.
hı̣wŋ rjos xȯ past - hear - perfective
Personal pronouns are not considered to be part of the verb cluster, as they can be freely placed in other parts of the clause. Verbal particles, conversely, are strictly tied to the same verbal form.
The aspectual particles are:
| progressive | |
| perfective | |
| resultative | |
| repetitive | |
| experiential | |
| prospective |
The absence of an aspectual particle is understood as an habitual aspect, namely pointing to a usual or customary in time action or state. The aspectual particle are always place after the verb, and are not usually left out. Examples:
ŋọ rjos I hear (always)
ŋọ rjos ɴjạ I am hearing
ŋọ rjos xȯ I heard
The temporal particles are:
| now | |
| past | |
| future | |
| distant past |
Temporal particles are similar to temporal adverbs, and sometimes they are regarded as such. However, unlike real adverbs, they are tied to the verb, as part of the verb cluster. They are not always expressed, only if deemed necessary for the temporal identification of the clause. In a common clause, only the aspect is expressed:
ŋọ hı̣wŋ rjos I used to hear (always)
ŋọ ku̇x rjos ɴjạ I will be hearing
ŋọ rɔj rjos xȯ I heard (right a bit ago)
Two additional particles can be placed after the verb, sjı̇, which conveys a meaning of command, being thus an imperative particle, and sjȧ, which conveys a meaning of negative command or prohibition, being thus a prohibitive particle.
| imperative | |
| prohibitive |
These particles are mandatorily used when orders and prohibitions are to be conveyed. When used, personal pronouns, aspectual particles, and temporal particles are usually not required, but they can be optionally used. Both particles are placed at the end of the verbal cluster.
tı̇h sjı̇ go!
tı̇h xȯ sjı̇ go! (up to destination)
sȧ tı̇h sjı̇ ɬa ɬė ʔjɛ̇n sjı̇ you go, but he stay!
Negation
The verbal negation is conveyed by the negative adverb nɔ̇ʔ. This adverb is placed before the verb cluster (thus, before any temporal particles).
qon ɸụn ɴjạ → qon nɔ̇ʔ ɸụn ɴjạ the dog is sleeping → the dog isn't sleeping
qon nɔɴqɛ̣h hı̣wŋ mjah xȯ → qon nɔɴqɛ̣h nɔ̇ʔ hı̣wŋ mjah xȯ the dog had bitten the man → the dog hadn't bitten the man
A negative imperative, conveyed by the prohibitive particle sjȧ, does not need any additional negative particles.
ɸụn sjȧ don't sleep!
Double negatives are generally not allowed; the presence of another negative element in the sentence inhibits the negative adverb.
