Žérði morphology
- Main article: Žérði
This page gives an extensive description of Žérði morphological features.
As already mentioned, Žérði 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 Žérði usually have a multisyllabic form; they very rarely have a monosyllabic form.
On the morphological level nouns display no number, case or definiteness, exhibiting always the same unaltered form:
mórğa wolf - a wolf - the wolf - wolves - the wolves
Adjectives and pronouns
Adjectives and pronouns have their own form, but, like the nouns, they do not display any morphological change for either number, case or definiteness.
Adjectives
Both attributive and predicative adjectives are always placed after the nouns they specify, with a very few exceptions.
rosmɔ írçun a young man
rosmɔ ɛča írçun the man is young
Personal pronouns
The personal pronouns are:
Unlike any other elements of the sentence, the personal pronouns compulsorily distinguish the number singular from the plural.
In the 3rd person, a double distinction is made. There are, actually, two forms, referring respectively to either animated beings or inanimate entities.
All forms, if adjoined by the prepositions kó or dɑ, play the role of an indeclinable possessive pronoun, being placed after a demonstrative pronominal form.
rosan isɔn búɣnez gu uk dɑ ešeš my father saw yours
Numerals
The numeral system relies on a decimal base.
Cardinal numerals
The first ten cardinal numbers are forms on their own:
| pɛ́m | |
| laz | |
| xúð | |
| ǧàr | |
| šu | |
| túg | |
| kír | |
| žér | |
| bɔp | |
| šùl |
Numerals from 11 to 19 are built with the construction NUM + šùl, with one irregular form:
| pɛ́mšùl | |
| lažùl | |
| xúðšùl | |
| ǧàršùl | |
| šušùl | |
| túgšùl | |
| kíršùl | |
| žéršùl | |
| bɔpšùl |
The numerals for (one) hundred and (one) thousand are forms on their own:
| ìm | |
| hɔrìm |
The numerals for the multiples of tens, hundreds and thousands are built with the construction NUM + -(a)ražùl / -(a)razìm / -(a)razhɔrìm:
| lazražùl | lazrazìm | lazrazhɔrìm | |
| xúðražùl | xúðrazìm | xúðrazhɔrìm | |
| ǧàraražùl | ǧàrarazìm | ǧàrarazhɔrìm | |
| šuražùl | šurazìm | šurazhɔrìm | |
| túgražùl | túgrazìm | túgrazhɔrìm | |
| kíraražùl | kírarazìm | kírarazhɔrìm | |
| žéraražùl | žérarazìm | žérarazhɔrìm | |
| bɔpražùl | bɔprazìm | bɔprazhɔrìm |
Numbers above the multiples of thousands 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:
- 2985: lazrazhɔrìm bɔprazìm žéraražùl šu
As for other parts of the language, all cardinal numerals are meant as invariable forms.
Ordinal numerals
Ordinal numerals are formed by adding the prefix pe- and the suffix -ta to the cardinal numeral form:
| pepɛ́mta | |
| pelazta | |
| pexúðta | |
| peǧàrta | |
| pešuta | |
| petúgta | |
| pekírta | |
| pežérta | |
| pebɔpta | |
| pešùlta | |
| pepɛ́mšùlta | |
| pelažùlta | |
| pelazražùlta | |
| pexúðražùlta | |
| petúgrazìmta | |
| pebɔparazhɔrìmta |
If the numeral form is composite, both affixes are added to every form:
- 325th: pexúðrazìmta pelazražùlta pešuta
Verbs
Verbs in Žérði language usually have a multisyllabic form. Each verbal form carries only the semantical information, while 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:
kotnez (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:
ɔn kotnez I hear
ešeš kotnez 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.
pɔ kotnez gu past - hear - perfective
The aspectual particles are:
| progressive | |
| perfective | |
| resultative | |
| habitual | |
| repetitive | |
| experiential | |
| prospective |
The absence of an aspectual particle is understood as a gnomic aspect, namely pointing to an always extant and true action or state. The aspectual particle are always place after the verb, and are not usually left out. Examples:
ɔn kotnez I hear (always)
ɔn kotnez moč I am hearing
ɔn kotnez gu I heard
The temporal particles are:
| present | |
| past | |
| future |
Temporal particles are similar to temporal adverbs, and sometimes they are regarded as such. However, they are somehow tied to the verb, as part of the verb cluster. They tend to be placed before the verb.
These forms are not always expressed, only if deemed necessary for the temporal identification of the clause. In a common clause, only the aspect is expressed. The temporal referement is substantially indefinite and they are not expressed if a more definite temporal referement is already present in the clause.
ɔn sá kotnez moč I will be hearing
ɔn re kotnez bo I've heard just a bit ago
Two additional particles are used in the verb cluster, tí, which conveys a meaning of command, being thus an imperative particle, and nítí, which conveys a meaning of negative command or prohibition, being thus a prohibitive particle.
| imperative | |
| prohibitive |
The particle tí is placed after both the verb and any aspectual particle. The particle nítí, conversely, is placed before both the verb and any temporal particle.
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.
goča tí go!
goča gu tí go! (up to destination)
eš goča tí mu uč nítí goča you go, but he must not go!
Negation
The verbal negation is conveyed by the negative adverb ne. This adverb is placed before the verb cluster, namely before the verb or the temporal particles.
bórğa čímsu moč → bórğa ne čímsu moč the dog is sleeping → the dog isn't sleeping
bórğa pɔ ɛ́hnez gu rosmɔ → bórğa ne pɔ ɛ́hnez gu rosmɔ the dog had bitten the man → the dog hadn't bitten the man
A negative imperative, conveyed by the prohibitive particle nítí, does not need any additional negative particles.
nítí čímsu don't sleep!
Double negatives are generally not allowed; the presence of another negative element in the sentence inhibits the negative adverb.
