Kipin/Syntax/Noun phrases

Kipin Noun Phrases

Possession

Possession is head marked in Kipin. The possessum is marked for the person, number, and in third person, gender of the possessor

gotusso

gotu	sso
gato	sa
cat	1

My cat.

When the possessor is denoted by an explicit noun phrase, this follows the possessor.

ijeiwi gurfin

ije-	iwi	gurfin
ije-	yu	gurfin
hen-	3.H	widow

The widow's hen

The possessor always appears in the unmarked case (nominative for Human and Animal nouns, absolutive for Inanimate nouns).

myijeiwi gurfin lutwifogurgnu

my-	ije	-iwi	gurfin	lu-	twifo-	gur-	gnu
gnu-	ije-	yu	gurfin	lu-	ce-	gur-	gnu
A.ACC-	hen-	3.H	widow	1-	see-	REC.PST-	3.A

I saw the widow's hen.

Adjectives

Attributive adjective precede the noun the qualify. They agree for gender and number but not case.

surfo kije

surfo	kije
surfo	kije
cowardly	leiutenant

Cowardly leiutenant

firsurfo sarkeseaer

fir-	surfo	sar-	kesea-	er
ir-	surfo	sar-	kije-	ir
H.PL	cowardly	H.Acc.PL	leiutenant	H.PL

cowardly leiutenants

sixel wexen

si-	xel	wexen
si-	xel	wexen
A.S	pert	puffin

Pert puffin

pexel wasseampa

pe-	xel	wasseam-	pa
pa-	xel	wexen-	pa
A.P	pert	puffin	A.P

Pert puffins.

yealdor kipin

ye-	aldor	kipin
yi-	aldor	kipin
3.INAN-	loud	voice

Loud voice

yenkoaldor kekonkolanhe

yenko-	aldor	kekon-	kolan-	ye
yimpi	aldor	kipin	kolan	yi
3.INAN.PL-	loud	voice-	3.INAN.PL-	ERG

Loud voices

Where multiple adjectives qualify the same noun, they are ordered with the ones representing the newest information first.

Relative clauses

Relative clauses precede the noun qualified and are formed by a gapping strategy. The relativised argument is the grammatical subject of the relative clause, and is omitted in the relative clause.

sicinhiximi mjilhen renardo

si-	cinhi-	xi-	mi	mj-	ilhen	renardo
si-	cinhi-	xi-	gnu	gnu-	ilhen	renardo
3.A	flatter	DIST.PST	3.A	A.ACC-	cock	fox

The fox who flattered the cock.

The noun thus qualified appears in the case proper to its role in the matrix clause.

erralseegno sicinhiximi mjilhen gnorennardo

er-	ral-	see-	gno	si-	cinhi-	xi-	mi	mj-	ilhen	gno-	renardo
ir-	ral-	xi-	gnu	si-	cinhi-	xi-	ngu	ngu-	ilhen	gnu-	renardo
3.PL.H	chase	DIST.PST-	3.A	3.A-	flatter-	DIST.PST	3.A	A.ACC-	cock	A.ACC-	fox

They chased the fox who flattered the cock.

Note that in this example, the matrix clause conveys new information about the noun qualified by the relative clause, which is therefore defocussed. This is typical behaviour in sentences containing relative clauses, but will not necessarily be the case in all circumstances.

As adjectives are primarily verbal in nature, attributive adjectives may be regarded as a form of simple relative clause.