User:Bukkia/sandboxVIII

Nouns

The noun cluster is formed by a noun, carrying the main meaning, and by other noun-type forms, namely adjectives, which specify this meaning or add other meanings to the main noun. Inside of a noun cluster, the noun can be replaced by a pronoun.

The noun is usually located in the center of the noun cluster, being preceded or followed by every other specifying form.

Non-adjectival elements conveying possession and belonging are always placed after the noun, as well as every attributive adjective.

sōgu vīrurɛ
the man’s house

Every attributive adjectives, conversely, is always placed before the noun.

ūdjužu liwlā
my hand

çōvā hő
the young woman

The role of the noun cluster in the sentence and its number are marked by case and number endings. These endings mark also other adjectival elements inside the noun cluster, resulting this in the process called nominal agreement.

Both attributive and predicative adjectives agree in case and number with the noun they specify. Other elements, which convey possession or belonging do not agree with the main nominal form.

çōvā vīru hiwmix gōw sōguxjɛ
the young man is going home

çōvāw hőw
the young women

hőw çōvāw
the women are young

In colloquial speech, however, attributive adjectives do agree with the noun by a smaller set of endings, which are essentially different from those of the noun declension. This feature varies prominently among dialects, being thus regarded as optional in the standard grammar.

çōvāwx hőwxjɛ 
to the young women

The grammar role of noun clusters can be further specified by prepositions, which are placed before the cluster. Thus, it can be stated that the noun cluster can be introduced by a preposition.

cɛɣiʝuɣū gū sōguxjɛ
I am talking about the house