User:Bukkia/sandboxVIII

Noun declension

As already mentioned, the word root has a (C)VC structure. When taking a noun role, the root is usually expanded by the nominal suffix -e-.

ṫiʡ- → ṫiʡ- + -e- → ṫiʡe
human → person, human 

There is, however, a limited amount of exceptions, in which the root is not expanded by any suffix, by having a clear noun role.

Nouns do decline, according to their role in the sentence for case. They also distinguish two morphological numbers, singular, and plural.

A nominal root is thus declined for case and number by adding the following morphemes:

Numeral morphemes
singular	-
plural	-j-/-ij-
Case morphemes
ergative	-k̇ə
absolutive	-
possessive	-ṗu
terminative	-ʈu
ablative	-ʡo
causative	-no
abessive	-pə
instrumental	-ma
locative	-wa

In the pre-diasporic period, these morphemes are added to the root without a fixed pattern. Numeral morpheme can, indeed, be freely placed before or after the case morpheme.

Some examples are shown below: a typical active or animate noun, papu, father, and a typical inactive or inanimate noun, soːŋo, house.

	Singular declension
agentive	papuli	-
passive	papu	soːŋo
genitive	papura	-
ablative	papuʂu	soːŋoʂu
terminative	papuχæ	soːŋoχæ
causative	papukʰu	soːŋokʰu
instrumental	-	soːŋokʰæ
abessive	-	soːŋoŋil
locative	-	soːŋoʈar

The endings for the secondary oblique cases are not usually added to a semantically animate noun, while the endings for the primary main cases are not usually added to a semantically inanimate noun.

	Plural declension
	precasual pattern	postcasual pattern	precasual pattern	postcasual pattern
agentive	papunoli	papulino	-	-
passive	papuno	papuno	soːŋono	soːŋono
genitive	papunora	papurano	-	-
ablative	papunoʂu	papuʂuno	soːŋonoʂu	soːŋoʂuno
terminative	papunoχæ	papuχæno	soːŋonoχæ	soːŋoχæno
causative	papunokʰu	papukʰuno	soːŋonokʰu	soːŋokʰuno
instrumental	-	-	soːŋonokʰæ	soːŋokʰæno
abessive	-	-	soːŋonoŋil	soːŋoŋilno
locative	-	-	soːŋonoʈar	soːŋoʈarno

As in the singular declension, the endings for the secondary oblique cases are not usually added to a semantically animate noun, while the endings for the primary main cases are not usually added to a semantically inanimate noun. The plural morpheme, -no, can be placed either before or after the case morphemes, without a fixed pattern. In the pre-diasporic period the numeral morpheme position is essentially free and optional.

	Dual declension
	precasual pattern	postcasual pattern	precasual pattern	postcasual pattern
agentive	papuʔili	papuliʔi	-	-
passive	papuʔi	papuʔi	soːŋoʔi	soːŋoʔi
genitive	papuʔira	papuraʔi	-	-
ablative	papuʔiʂu	papuʂuʔi	soːŋoʔiʂu	soːŋoʂuʔi
terminative	papuʔiχæ	papuχæʔi	soːŋoʔiχæ	soːŋoχæʔi
causative	papuʔikʰu	papukʰuʔi	soːŋoʔikʰu	soːŋokʰuʔi
instrumental	-	-	soːŋoʔikʰæ	soːŋokʰæʔi
abessive	-	-	soːŋoʔiŋil	soːŋoŋilʔi
locative	-	-	soːŋoʔiʈar	soːŋoʈarʔi

As in the singular declension, the endings for the secondary oblique cases are not usually added to a semantically animate noun, while the endings for the primary main cases are not usually added to a semantically inanimate noun. The dual morpheme, -ʔi, can be placed either before or after the case morphemes, without a fixed pattern. In the pre-diasporic period the numeral morpheme position is essentially free and optional.