Gəjlnigo syntax

Main article: Gəjlnigo

This page gives an extensive description of Gəjlnigo syntactical features.

Main clause and word order

Gəjlnigo is an almost strictly SVO (Subject-Verb-Object) language.

ežd əjro ləjuš ež huve 
the man sees the dog

Despite the limited case system, the word order is essentially fixed because of the lacking distinction between the subject and the direct object. The only word order with a clear role and a frequent usage is VSO (Verb-Subject-Object), which marks interrogative clauses, namely simple questions.

ləjuš ežd əjro ež huve?
does the man see the dog?

The other elements in the sentence are usually placed in the order “time-cause-manner-place”, although they are basically freer than the main elements, as they are conveyed by the case system or by the prepositions. These elements can be emphasized by placing them at the beginning of the sentence.

The indirect object tends to be placed after the direct object of the sentence. However, if both direct and indirect objects are used in pronominal form, they are placed right before the conjugated verbal form in reverse order.

Nouns

The noun cluster is formed by a noun, carrying the main meaning, and by other noun-type forms, namely adjectives, which specify this meaning or add other meanings to the main noun. Inside of a noun cluster, the noun can be replaced by a pronoun.

The noun is usually located in the center of the noun cluster, being preceded or followed by every other specifying form.

Non-adjectival elements conveying possession and belonging are always placed after the noun.

ež hɔgo čejžəre əjrore
the man’s house

Every attributive adjectives, conversely, is always placed before the noun.

ɔddužo ləja
my hand

ež hɔva ɔne
the young woman

The role of the noun cluster in the sentence and its number are marked by case and number endings. These endings mark also other adjectival elements inside the noun cluster, resulting this in the process called nominal agreement.

Both attributive and predicative adjectives agree in case and number with the noun they specify. Other elements, which convey possession or belonging do not agree with the main nominal form.

ež hɔva əjro əjmejh hɔguh
the young man is going home

ɔddunužo hɔgo
our house

ežno hɔvano ɔneno
the young women

ežno ɔneno hɔvano
the women are young

As it is essentially regarded as a specifying form, the article is also always placed before the entire noun cluster.

ežno rejuno hɔgono čejžəre ugejre əjrore
the new houses of the old man

The grammar role of noun clusters can be further specified by prepositions, which are placed before the cluster. Thus, it can be stated that the noun cluster can be introduced by a preposition.

cegihugɔ gɔd ežəre hɔgore
I am talking about the house

The cases

The grammatical role of the noun cluster in a sentence is conveyed by some endings. These endings are bound to grammatical cases, with usually well-defined roles.

The cases in Gəjlnigo language are 2:

• Direct
• Oblique

The grammatical roles and all possible differences in usage among similar cases are enlisted below: