Pı̀ morphology

Main article: Pı̀

This page gives an extensive description of Pı̀ morphological features.

As already mentioned, Pı̀ 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 Pı̀ usually have a monosyllabic form, or a multisyllabic form, if morphologically derived or being loanwords.

On the morphological level nouns display no number, case or definiteness, exhibiting always the same unaltered form:

ū̃ 
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 e̱ after the noun:

ū̃ e̱
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.

χat nɔ̀χɛ̱́
a young man

nɔ̀χɛ̱́ ɟē χat
the man is young

However, if the specified noun is sintactically definite in the sentence (i.e., it has been already mentioned or it is an already known information to the speaker), it adjective can be placed after it, while being introduced by the demonstrative pronoun tı̱̋, that one, (or rarely by pı̱̋, this one):

ɔ̄̀nhɛ̱ tı̱̋ hat 
the young man (lit. the man, the young one)

As these pronominal forms mandatorily convey a number distinction, by having a specific plural, also the specified noun can distinguish a plural form by using these plurals:

ɔ̄̀nhɛ̱ tɪ̂ hat 
the young men (lit. the men, the young ones)

This construction, called definite construction, is completely optional and can be expressed only by qualifying adjectives. Every other adjective is sistematically placed before the noun.

Personal pronouns

Personal pronouns feature a distinction between three persons, and, unlike any other elements of the sentence, compulsorily distinguish the number singular from the plural:

	singular	plural
1st person	go̱	gø̱
2st person	sā	sæ̱̏
3st person	bē	bȅ̱

The 3^rd person pronouns usually refer to semantically animate or human entities, although they may technically refer to every entity. For inanimate or unreal entities, demonostrative adjectives or pronouns are rather used.

All forms, if adjoined by the preposition sɪ̄̀ (used as a postposition), 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.

go̱ sɪ̄̀ ta sū̀ xō sæ̱̏ sɪ̄̀ ma
my father saw your mother

go̱ sɪ̄̀ ta sū̀ xō sæ̱̏ sɪ̄̀ tı̱̋
my father saw yours

Interrogative adjectives and pronouns

The basic interrogative adjective is:

• which: xo̱

There are also other more specific interrogative adjectives and pronouns (and adverbs):

• xø̄̃: what (it refers to inanimate entities)
• xø̱: who (it refers to animate entities)
• xø̂: where (static location)
• xo̱t: how much, how many? (requires the partitive postposition)
• xø̂tò: where? (motion towards)
• xø̂cɛ̄̀: where... from (motion form)
• xø̄̃gɛ: when (time)
• xø̄̃mù: why (cause)
• xø̄̃çû: why (aim)

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:

digit	full form
1:	xṑ
2:	mɛ̱s
3:	có
4:	guf
5:	pı́
6:	tə̀
7:	hāt
8:	má̱
9:	šű̱
10:	bæ̱̃

Numerals from 11 to 19 are built with the construction bæ̱̃ + NUM:

digit	full form
11:	bæ̱̃ xṑ
12:	bæ̱̃ mɛ̱s
13:	bæ̱̃ có
14:	bæ̱̃ guf
15:	bæ̱̃ pı́
16:	bæ̱̃ tə̀
17:	bæ̱̃ hāt
18:	bæ̱̃ má̱
19:	bæ̱̃ šű̱

The numeral for (one) hundred is a form on its own, while the numeral for (one) thousand is a loanword from Iðâɣ language:

digit	full form
100:	çı̱́p
1000:	ěn (from I. ěn)

The numerals for the multiples of tens, hundreds and thousands are built with the construction NUM + gɛ (time(s)) + bæ̱̃ / çı̱́p / ěn:

	tens	hundreds	thousands
2x:	mɛ̱s gɛ bæ̱̃	mɛ̱s gɛ çı̱́p	mɛ̱s gɛ ěn
3x:	có gɛ bæ̱̃	có gɛ çı̱́p	có gɛ ěn
4x:	guf gɛ bæ̱̃	guf gɛ çı̱́p	guf gɛ ěn
5x:	pı́ gɛ bæ̱̃	pı́ gɛ çı̱́p	pı́ gɛ ěn
6x:	tə̀ gɛ bæ̱̃	tə̀ gɛ çı̱́p	tə̀ gɛ ěn
7x:	hāt gɛ bæ̱̃	hāt gɛ çı̱́p	hāt gɛ ěn
8x:	má̱ gɛ bæ̱̃	má̱ gɛ çı̱́p	má̱ gɛ ěn
9x:	šű̱ gɛ bæ̱̃	šű̱ gɛ çı̱́p	šű̱ gɛ ěn

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

• 1985: ěn šű̱ gɛ çı̱́p má̱ gɛ bæ̱̃ pı́

Numerals for “million” and “billion” are loanwords from Iðâɣ language:

digit	full form
1,000,000:	šúrěn (from I. šúrěntu)
1,000,000,000:	mêšúr (from I. mêšúrěntu)

These forms are treated as regular nouns:

digit	full form
3,000,000:	có šúrěn
6,000,000,000:	tə̀ mêšúr

Cardinal numerals usually precede their adjoining noun cluster, as an adjectival form. However, every numeral can be optionally used with a noun cluster introduced by the partitive preposition jó.

tə̀ hó or tə̀ jó hó
six dogs

With semantically uncountable nouns and with pronouns, the partitive preposition is mandatorily used, with the meaning of “X units of Y”:

tə̀ jó kø̄m
six pieces/parts/balls/etc. of wool

šű̱ jó gø̱
nine of us

With the numerals for “million” and “billion” the partitive preposition jó is always mandatorily used.

mɛ̱s šúrěn jó hɛ̱
two millions people

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

digit	full form
0:	xesú (from I. xesú)

Ordinal numerals

Ordinal numerals are formed by putting the particle sē after the cardinal numeral form:

digit	full form
1st:	xṑ sē
2nd:	mɛ̱s sē
3rd:	có sē
4th:	guf sē
5th:	pı́ sē
6th:	tə̀ sē
7th:	hāt sē
8th:	má̱ sē
9th:	šű̱ sē
10th:	bæ̱̃ sē

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

• 25^th: mɛ̱s gɛ bæ̱̃ pı́ sē

Verbs

Verbs in Pı̀ 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:

ró̱s
(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:

go̱ ró̱s
I hear

sæ̱̏ ró̱s
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.

ɪ̱́g ró̱s xō
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:

aspect	particle
progressive	ña̱
perfective	xō
resultative	čɛ̱
repetitive	jʊ̂
experiential	fɔ̄
prospective	pò

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:

go̱ ró̱s
I hear (always)

go̱ ró̱s ña̱
I am hearing

go̱ ró̱s xō
I heard

The temporal particles are:

time	particle
now	rɑ̄̀
past	ɪ̱́g
future	kūx
distant past	rǿ

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:

go̱ ɪ̱́g ró̱s
I used to hear (always)

go̱ kūx ró̱s ña̱
I will be hearing

go̱ rɑ̄̀ ró̱s xō
I heard (right a bit ago)

Two additional particles can be placed after the verb, šı́, which conveys a meaning of command, being thus an imperative particle, and šá, which conveys a meaning of negative command or prohibition, being thus a prohibitive particle.

	particle
imperative	šı́
prohibitive	šá

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.

tı̀ šı́
go!

tı̀ xō šı́
go! (up to destination)

sā tı̀ šı́ ba bē ɛ́ šı́
you go, but he stay!

Negation

The verbal negation is conveyed by the negative adverb ɔ̄̀. This adverb is placed before the verb cluster (thus, before any temporal particles).

hó fú̱ ña̱ → hó ɔ̄̀ fú̱ ña̱
the dog is sleeping → the dog isn't sleeping

hó ɪ̱́g mâ xō ɔ̄̀nhɛ̱ → hó ɔ̄̀ ɪ̱́g mâ xō ɔ̄̀nhɛ̱
the dog had bitten the man → the dog hadn't bitten the man

A negative imperative, conveyed by the prohibitive particle šá, does not need any additional negative particles.

fú̱ šá
don't sleep!

Double negatives are generally not allowed; the presence of another negative element in the sentence inhibits the negative adverb.