Modern Figo morphology

Main article: Modern Figo

This page gives an extensive description of modern Figo morphological features.

Nouns

Nouns in modern Figo can end either in a vowel or in a consonant in their basic form. A certain number of nouns ending in a vowel, however, can add a suppletive syllable before the normal declension endings, especially monosyllabic nouns. Nouns ending in a consonant usually add a euphonic vowel in their declension.

Nouns display neither gender nor class distinction. There are, however, two morphological numbers for almost all nouns, singular and plural, and a limited case system.

Cases

Modern Figo nouns do decline, according to a nominative-accusative system with 3 cases:

Case	Meaning
Nominative	This case marks the subject of a verb. It is regarded as the citation form of the noun.
Accusative	This case marks the direct object of a verb. It is also used with some postpositions. It is regarded as the base form of the noun, and it is used as the vocative form.
Oblique	It has no specifical meaning and it is generally used only with postpositions. It can be occasionally used without postpositions in earlier texts and in crystallized forms, marking possession and belonging.

Noun declension

Nouns are declined in case and number by adding the following endings to the base form of the noun:

	singular	plural
nominative	-r	-rĩ
accusative	-	- ̃
oblique	-š	-šũ

An example is shown below: sobar, dog.

	sobar
	singular	plural
basic	sobar	sobarĩ
direct	soba	sobã
oblique	sobaš	sobašũ

As it can be noticed, the plural form of the accusative case always involves nasalization of the last vowel. This process may happen on every available vowel, but, if the last vowel is already nasal in the singular, the plural accusative form will be identical to its singular counterpart.

Nouns ending in a consonant in the singular direct case usually add a euphonic vowel before the endings of the other cases. There is no tendency on a specific euphonic vowel.

An example is shown below: rimər, world, earth.

	rimər
	singular	plural
basic	rimər	rimərĩ
direct	rim	rimə̃
oblique	riməš	riməšũ

In this case, the added vowel is -ə-, which is regularly nasalized in the accusative plural form. Every euphonic vowel is always shown in the citation form, the singular nominative case.

The vowels -ə-, -i- or -u- are often dropped in the accusative singular, when present before the nominative singular ending.

Some irregular nouns, whose base form ends in a vowel, can add an entire syllable before the case endings.

An example is shown below: swõnur, house.

	swõnur
	singular	plural
basic	swõnur	swõnurĩ
direct	swõ	swõnũ
oblique	swõnuš	swõnušũ

The irregularly added syllable is more than often -nə-, -ne-, -ni- or -no-. If the last vowel of the base form is nasalized, it can sometimes lose nasalization in the forms with the added syllable. This forms are regarded as irregular and, in earlier texts, they can display many alternatives: for example the word swõnur has earlier alternatives like accusative plural swonũ or oblique plural swõnošũ, already fallen out of use in modern texts.

Some nouns, whose roots end in a consonant cluster, can insert an euphonic vowel -ə- between these consonants in the accusative singular form.

An example is shown below: moɣžur, herd.

	moɣžur
	singular	plural
basic	moɣžur	moɣžurĩ
direct	moɣəž	moɣžũ
oblique	moɣžuš	moɣžušũ

The euphonic vowel is added only when the consonant cluster is unacceptable in final position according to phonotactical rules. When the consonant cluster is acceptable, no vowel is inserted.

A small amount of nouns diplay irregular plural endings:

	plural
nominative	-ir
accusative	-i
oblique	-iš

This endings usually trigger irregular consonantal and vocalic changes in the noun root (often due to methaponic processes).

An example is shown below: roɣur, eye.

	roɣur
	singular	plural
basic	roɣur	ruɣir
direct	rog	ruɣi
oblique	roɣuš	ruɣiš

From the previous example it can be noticed that nouns, whose nominative singular form ends in -ɣur, usually display an accusative singular form ending in -g.

Some nouns, conversely, display unpredictable irregularities, both vocalic and consonantal, in the noun root.

An example is shown below: rəjr, thing.

	rəjr
	singular	plural
basic	rəjr	rəjrĩ
direct	ri	rĩ
oblique	rəjš	rəjšũ

As noun declension often displays multiple irregularities, in the vocabulary section the accusative singular form is always cited for an irregular noun, while the accusative plural form is cited only when necessary:

• swõnur, n. (swõ), house.
• roɣur, n. (rog, ruɣi), eye.

Numerals

The numeral system relies on a decimal base.

The first ten cardinal numbers are noun-like forms on their own:

digit	noun form
1:	šwov
2:	ug
3:	miɣwo
4:	nwoh
5:	šwõ
6:	fwa
7:	hoše
8:	fu
9:	čwi
10:	fjev

Numerals from 11 to 19 are built with the construction NUM + fjev, with some irregularities:

digit	noun form
11:	šwofjev
12:	uɣifjev
13:	miɣwofjev
14:	nwofjev
15:	šwõfjev
16:	fwafjev
17:	hošefjev
18:	fufjev
19:	čwifjev

The numerals for (one) hundred and (one) thousand are noun-like forms on their own:

digit	noun form
100:	ňwož
1000:	řa

The numerals for the multiples of tens, hundreds and thousands are built with the construction NUM + fjewdũ / ňwoždũ / řadũ, with some irregularities:

	tens	hundreds	thousands
2x:	uɣifjewdəj	uɣiňwoždũ	uɣiřadũ
3x:	miɣwofjewdũ	miɣwoňwoždũ	miɣwořadũ
4x:	nwofjewdũ	nwoňwoždũ	nwořadũ
5x:	šwõfjewdũ	šwõňwoždũ	šwõřadũ
6x:	fwafjewdũ	fwaňwoždũ	fwařadũ
7x:	hošefjewdũ	hošeňwoždũ	hošeřadũ
8x:	fufjewdũ	fuňwoždũ	fuřadũ
9x:	čwifjewdũ	čwiňwoždũ	čwiřadũ

Composite numbers are built by just putting them beside, without any conjunction, in descending order:

• 1985: řa čwiňwoždũ fufjewdũ šwõ

All cardinal numerals up to these forms are meant as invariable.

Numerals for “million” and “billion” are loanwords from other languages:

digit	noun form
1,000,000:	čãčãr (from β. ʈʂʼamʈʂʼam)
1,000,000,000:	mešurentur (from I. mêšúrěntu )

These forms are treated as regularly declinable nouns:

digit	noun form
3,000,000:	miɣwo čãčãrĩ
6,000,000,000:	fwa mešurenturĩ

If these numerals are used as simple count forms, they are declined in the nominative case. Inside of a structured sentence, they are declined according the case required by their syntactical role. Nouns adjoining such numerals are declined in the oblique case:

šwov čãčãr fožašũ
one million people

kwov ug mešurentušu fožašũ
to two billions people

In the earlier modern period the idea of “zero” is introduced from Iðâɣ language. This numeral is however usually limited to mathematics:

digit	noun form
0:	xesu (from I. xesú)

Ordinal numerals are formed by adding the ordinal ending -dur (-d) to the cardinal numeral form, with an irregular suppletive form and some other irregularities:

digit	adjective form
1st:	rošdur (rošd)
2nd:	uɣidur (uɣid)
3rd:	miɣwodur (miɣwod)
4th:	nudur (nud)
5th:	šwõdur (šwõd)
6th:	fwadur (fwad)
7th:	hošedur (hošed)
8th:	fudur (fud)
9th:	čwidur (čwid)
10th:	fjewdur (fjewd)
11th:	šwofjewdur (šwofjewd)
12th:	uɣifjewdur (uɣifjewd)
20th:	uɣifjewdəjdur (uɣifjewdəjd)
60th:	fwafjewdũdur (fwafjewdũd)

Ordinal numerals for “millionth” and “billionth” are regularly formed from their corresponding cardinal forms, while their multiples are formed by unifying the separated forms in an only adjectival word:

digit	adjective form
1,000,000th:	čãčãdur (čãčãd)
1,000,000,000th:	mešurentudur (mešurentud)
3,000,000,000th:	miɣwomešurentudur (mešurentud)

If the numeral form is composite, the ending is added only to the last numeral form:

• 25^th: uɣifjedəj šwõdur

Pronominal numerals

Every cardinal number may display, moreover, a special pronominal form. This form is to be used strictly when referring to human beings. This numerals are built by adding the derivative ending -for to the cardinal numeral form, with some irregularities:

digit	noun form
2:	uɣifor
3:	miɣwofor
4:	nufor
5:	šwõfor
6:	fwafor
7:	hošefor
8:	fufor
9:	čwifor
10:	fjewfor
11:	šwofjewfor
12:	uɣifjewfor
20:	uɣifjewdəjfor
60:	fwafjewdũfor

If the numeral form is composite, the ending is added only to the last numeral form:

• 25: uɣifjedəj šwõfor

Pronominal numerals can be formed from every cardinal numeral, except for the numeral "one", "million" and "billion" and the multiples of the latter two ones.

These forms decline only in singular number. They, however, display a complete singular declension. If present, the verb always agrees with the personal numeral in the singular number.

miɣwofo řirušjidũ jẽnõ
we saw three (of them)

miɣwofor õt řirušjid jẽh
three (of them) saw us

The pronominal forms, however, can be adjoined by a noun. This is built with a peculiar construction. The personal numerals are declined in the singular, while the adjoining nouns are always declined in the oblique plural form. If present, the verb always agrees with the personal numeral in the singular number.

miɣwofo řirušũ řirušjidũ jẽnõ
we saw three men

miɣwofor řirušũ õt řirušjid jẽh
three men saw us

The pronominal forms tend to be placed before the adjoining nouns. In colloquial language and in some texts, the adjoining noun can be placed before the pronominal numeral.

řirušũ miɣwofor õt řirušjid jẽh
three men saw us

This placement, albeit spreading in some dialects, is not accepted in formal language and widely deprecated by grammarians.