User:Bukkia/sandboxVIII

Main article: Höśikə

This page gives an extensive description of Höśikə morphological features.

Nouns

Nouns in Höśikə language can end either in a vowel or in a consonant, although there is a marked tendency for the vocalic ending. Nouns ending in a consonant usually add a euphonic vowel before the normal declension endings.

Nouns display neither gender nor class distinction. Nouns are divided and categorized in six declension groups, each distinguished by the plural formation and the last phoneme of the word.

There are, moreover, two morphological numbers for almost all nouns, singular and plural, and a limited case system. Nouns also display two forms, the indefinite form and the definite form, the latter being built by adding the postposed definite article.

Cases

Höśikə nouns do decline, according to a nominative-accusative system with 2 cases:

Case	Meaning
Direct	This case marks both the subject and the direct object of a verb. It can be also used with some prepositions. 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 prepositions. It can be occasionally used without prepositions, with some verbs, and it may mark the indirect object in some kinds of pronouns.

Articles

There is only one article, the definite article, which is placed after the first element in the noun cluster as a suffixal form. It agrees with the noun cluster only in number.

singular	plural
-žə / -ɛž	-žõ

In the singular direct case two forms of the article are listed. The choice between the two forms depends on the last phoneme of the definite word:

• žə is placed after a word ending with a vowel.
• ɛž is placed after a word ending with a consonant.

A noun or another element with the definite article attached is regarded as being in its definite form. A noun or another element without the article is regarded as being in its indefinite form.

When a noun cluster has more than one element, the article is attached only to the first element. Other elements remain in their indefinite form.

kɛvə - kɛvəžə
a wolf - the wolf

ruqažə qokjə rimusjyti
the good old shepherd

Noun declension

Nouns are divided in six groups for nominal declension. These groups are commonly called declensions. Such declensions are distinguished by the last phoneme of the singular direct case form, by the formation of plural forms and by the added phonemes within the declension process.

As a whole, plural formation is marked by nasalisation of the last vocalic phoneme. Some declension are further divided in subgroups.

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

direct	-
oblique	-šy

First declension

First declension nouns end in a simple vowel in their base form.

This vowel is nasalized in the plural forms, but it remains unaffected in its quality in both case and plural formation. All patterns involve, thus, a single vowel:

base	singular oblique	plural
-a	-a	-ã
-ä	-ä	-ä̃
-ɛ	-ɛ	-ɛ̃
-o	-o	-õ
-ö	-ö	-ö̃
-u	-u	-ũ
-ü	-ü	-ü̃

Example: sopa, dog.

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
direct	sopa	sopažə	sopã	sopãžõ
oblique	sopašy	sopašyžə	sopãšy	sopãšyžõ

Second declension

Second declension nouns end in a simple vowel in their base form.

This vowel is nasalized in the plural forms, and it undergoes some kind of alteration in quality in either case or plural formation.

Subgroup A

The final vowel remains unaffected in quality in the singular, but it undergoes a change in quality in the plural, together with nasalisation. All patterns involve, thus, two vowels:

base	singular oblique	plural
-i	-i	-ỹ

Example: čeri, bridge.

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
direct	čeri	čerižə	čerỹ	čerỹžõ
oblique	čerišy	čerišyžə	čerỹšy	čerỹšyžõ

Subgroup B

The final vowel rundergoes a change in quality both in the singular and in the plural, together with nasalisation. All patterns involve, thus, two vowels:

base	singular oblique	plural
-ə	-o	-õ
-y	-u	-ũ

Example: ɛcə, year.

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
direct	ɛcə	ɛcəžə	ɛcõ	ɛcõžõ
oblique	ɛcošy	ɛcošyžə	ɛcõšy	ɛcõšyžõ

Subgroup C

The final vowel (usually preceded by the semivowel -j-) undergoes a first change in quality in the singular, then it undergoes a further change and in the plural, together with nasalisation. All patterns involve, thus, three vowels:

base	singular oblique	plural
-ə	-e	-ỹ

Example: ħukjə, bear.

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
direct	ħukjə	ħukjəžə	ħukjỹ	ħukjỹžõ
oblique	ħukješy	ħukješyžə	ħukjỹšy	ħukjỹšyžõ

Third declension

Third declension nouns end in a consonant in their base form.

A vowel is added withing declension. This vowel is nasalized in the plural forms, and it may undergo some kind of alteration in quality in either case or plural formation.

Subgroup A

The vowel -ɛ- is added. This vowel is nasalized in the plural forms, but it remains unaffected in its quality in both case and plural formation. All patterns involve, thus, a single vowels:

base	singular oblique	plural
-	-ɛ	-ɛ̃

Example: uħetnỹm, stylus.

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
direct	uħetnỹm	uħetnỹmɛž	uħetnỹmɛ̃	uħetnỹmɛ̃žõ
oblique	uħetnỹmɛšy	uħetnỹmɛšyžə	uħetnỹmɛ̃šy	uħetnỹmɛ̃šyžõ

Subgroup B

The vowel -e- is added. This vowel undergoes a change in quality and it is nasalized in the plural forms. All patterns involve, thus, two vowels:

base	singular oblique	plural
-	-e	-ỹ

Example: büts, leg.

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
direct	büts	bütsɛž	bütsỹ	bütsỹžõ
oblique	bütsešy	bütsešyžə	bütsỹšy	bütsỹšyžõ

Fourth declension

First declension nouns end in a nasal vowel in their base form.

This vowel remains unaffected in quality and nasalisation in both case and plural formation. All patterns involve, thus, a single vowel:

base	singular oblique	plural
-a	-a	-ã
-ä	-ä	-ä̃
-ɛ	-ɛ	-ɛ̃
-o	-o	-õ
-ö	-ö	-ö̃
-u	-u	-ũ
-ü	-ü	-ü̃

Example: śuqɛ̃, woman.

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
direct	śuqɛ̃	śuqɛ̃žə	śuqɛ̃	śuqɛ̃žõ
oblique	śuqɛ̃šy	śuqɛ̃šyžə	śuqɛ̃šy	śuqɛ̃šyžõ