Proto-Alri morphology
- Main article: Proto-Alri
This page gives an extensive description of Proto-Alri morphological features.
Cases
Proto-Alri nouns do decline, according to an ergative-absolutive system with 9 cases:
| Ergative | This case marks the subject of a transitive verb. |
| Absolutive | This case marks primarily the direct object of a transitive verb. It is also used to mark the subject of an intransitive verb. It is regarded as the base form of the noun, and it is used as the vocative form. |
| Possessive | This case marks an intentional possession, from subjects with a clear and active will. |
| Terminative | This case marks the final point of a movement (motion toward a place), and, in a broad sense, the indirect object. In a broader sense, it can also mark a natural and unintentional belonging (for example, body parts), without any sign of will of possession, or an inverse belonging. |
| Ablative | This case marks the point of origin of a movement (motion from a place). It can also mark the origin or the source. |
| Causative | This case marks the reason or the cause, which are the source of an action or a state. |
| Benefactive | This case marks the final purpose of an action or a state. In a broad sense, it marks the ultimate beneficiary of an action or a state. |
| Instrumental | This case marks the tool or the instrument which are used to perform an action or to be in a certain state. |
| Locative | This case marks the place where an action is performed, or a certain state exist (stative location). |
The cases are usually classified in 4 groups:
- Primary main cases: ergative, possessive
- Secondary main cases: assolutive
- Primary oblique cases: terminative, ablative, causative, benefactive
- Secondary oblique cases: instrumental, locative
Although nouns display neither gender nor class distinction, a noun referring to an intrisically animate entity cannot be declined in the secondary oblique cases, while a noun referring to an intrinsically inanimate entity cannot be declined in the primary main cases.
Other types of clause complements are conveyed using various postpositions, which can select one or more cases.
Numerals
Numeral roots are meant as nominal-verbal roots, with a (C)VC- structure.
The numeral system relies on a decimal base.
The first ten cardinal numbers are forms on their own:
| ṫjes- | |
| moʈ- | |
| pʰijn- | |
| sjajr- | |
| ʂewṗ- | |
| kakʰ- | |
| njuʂ- | |
| towʡ- | |
| pəjt- | |
| lujm- |
The numerals for (one) hundred and (one) thousand are forms on their own:
| ʂowk̇- | |
| k̇ajʂ- |
If these roots have an adjoining noun, the adjectival ending -i is added to them. They are therefore treated like an adjective and declined in agreement with the noun.
ʂewṗ- → ʂewṗ- + -i- → ʂewṗi five
If these roots are used as simple count forms, or in a pronominal role, the nominal ending -e is added to them. They are therefore treated like a pronoun and declined according the case required by their syntactical role.
njuʂ- → njuʂ- + -e- → njuʂe seven
Other numerals do not have indipendent roots. Their forms are built by combining quite freely the already existing roots. There are no fixed construction patterns, as it is noticeable from the different results in daughter languages.
The numerals for tens, hundreds and thousands can be built:
- With the numeral root + the nominal ending -e, as an independent numeral form, NUM + -e:
| lujime | |
| ʂowk̇e | |
| k̇ajʂe |
- With the numeral root + the derivative suffix -ʂi, as an independent numeral form, NUM + -ʂi:
| lujimʂi | |
| ʂowk̇ʂi | |
| k̇ajʂəʂi |
The numerals for the multiples of tens, hundreds and thousands can be built:
- With the numeral root + lujme/ʂowk̇e/k̇ajʂe in the plural number, NUM + -lujmej/-ʂowk̇ej/-k̇ajʂej:
| moʈlujmej | |
| sjajrʂowk̇ej | |
| kakʰk̇ajʂej |
- With the numeral root + lujmʂi/ʂowk̇ʂi/k̇ajʂəʂi in the plural number, NUM + -lujmʂij/-ʂowk̇ʂij/-k̇ajʂəʂij:
| moʈlujmʂij | |
| sjajrʂowk̇ʂij | |
| kakʰk̇ajʂəʂij |
Numerals from 11 to 19 can be built:
- With the numeral root + the adjectival or nominal ending + lujmʂi, NUM + -i/-e + -lujmʂi
| ṫjesilujmʂi / ṫjeselujmʂi |
- With -lujme + the postposition nje, over, + the numeral root + the adjectival or nominal ending, lujme + nje + NUM + -i/-e:
| lujmenjeṫjesi / lujmenjeṫjese |
Numbers above the multiples of thousands have no name and are specified by the lesser numerals.
Composite numbers can be built:
- by just putting them beside, without any conjunction, in descending order:
| k̇ajʂe pəjtʂowk̇ej towʡlujmej ʂewṗe |
- by linking them with the conjunction tʰe, and, in descending order:
| k̇ajʂe tʰe pəjtʂowk̇ej tʰe towʡlujmej tʰe ʂewṗe |
Ordinal numerals are be built with the numeral root + the comparative suffix -is + the adjectival ending -i, NUM + -is- + -i:
ṫjes- + -is- + -i- → ṫjesisi one → first
The first 10 ordinal numerals are:
| ṫjesisi | |
| moʈisi | |
| pʰijnisi | |
| sjajrisi | |
| ʂewṗisi | |
| kakʰisi | |
| njuʂisi- | |
| towʡisi | |
| pəjtisi | |
| lujmisi |
For the ordinal numerals for the multiples of tens, hundreds and thousands the comparative suffix -is- replaces the nominal or adjectival ending -e/-i.
| ṫjesilujmʂisi / lujmenjeṫjesisi | |
| moʈilujmʂisi / lujmenjemoʈisi | |
| moʈlujmisi / moʈlujmʂisi | |
| pʰijnlujmisi / pʰijnlujmʂisi | |
| kakʰʂowk̇isi / kakʰʂowk̇ʂisi | |
| pəjtk̇ajʂisi / pəjtk̇ajʂəʂisi |
If the numeral form is composite, the comparative ending is added to every form, and they agree with their adjoining noun in case and number:
- 378th: pʰijnʂowk̇isi (tʰe) njuʂlujmisi (tʰe) towʡisi
