Modern Figo morphology
- Main article: Modern Figo
This page gives an extensive description of modern Figo morphological features.
Nouns
Nouns in modern Figo can end either in a vowel or in a consonant in their basic form. A certain number of nouns ending in a vowel, however, can add a suppletive syllable before the normal declension endings, especially monosyllabic nouns. Nouns ending in a consonant usually add a euphonic vowel in their declension.
Nouns display neither gender nor class distinction. There are, however, two morphological numbers for almost all nouns, singular and plural, and a limited case system.
Cases
Modern Figo nouns do decline, according to a nominative-accusative system with 3 cases:
| Nominative | This case marks the subject of a verb. It is regarded as the citation form of the noun. |
| Accusative | This case marks the direct object of a verb. It is also used with some postpositions. It is regarded as the base form of the noun, and it is used as the vocative form. |
| Oblique | It has no specifical meaning and it is generally used only with postpositions. It can be occasionally used without postpositions in earlier texts and in crystallized forms, marking possession and belonging. |
Noun declension
Nouns are declined in case and number by adding the following endings to the base form of the noun:
| -r | -rĩ | |
| - | - ̃ | |
| -š | -šũ |
An example is shown below: sobar, dog.
| sobar | sobarĩ | |
| soba | sobã | |
| sobaš | sobašũ | |
As it can be noticed, the plural form of the accusative case always involves nasalization of the last vowel. This process may happen on every available vowel, but, if the last vowel is already nasal in the singular, the plural accusative form will be identical to its singular counterpart.
Nouns ending in a consonant in the singular direct case usually add a euphonic vowel before the endings of the other cases. There is no tendency on a specific euphonic vowel.
An example is shown below: rimər, world, earth.
| rimər | rimərĩ | |
| rim | rimə̃ | |
| riməš | riməšũ | |
In this case, the added vowel is -ə-, which is regularly nasalized in the accusative plural form. Every euphonic vowel is always shown in the citation form, the singular nominative case.
The vowels -ə-, -i- or -u- are often dropped in the accusative singular, when present before the nominative singular ending.
Some irregular nouns, whose base form ends in a vowel, can add an entire syllable before the case endings.
An example is shown below: swõnur, house.
| swõnur | swõnurĩ | |
| swõ | swõnũ | |
| swõnuš | swõnušũ | |
The irregularly added syllable is more than often -nə-, -ne-, -ni- or -no-. If the last vowel of the base form is nasalized, it can sometimes lose nasalization in the forms with the added syllable. This forms are regarded as irregular and, in earlier texts, they can display many alternatives: for example the word swõnur has earlier alternatives like accusative plural swonũ or oblique plural swõnošũ, already fallen out of use in modern texts.
Some nouns, whose roots end in a consonant cluster, can insert an euphonic vowel -ə- between these consonants in the accusative singular form.
An example is shown below: moɣžur, herd.
| moɣžur | moɣžurĩ | |
| moɣəž | moɣžũ | |
| moɣžuš | moɣžušũ | |
The euphonic vowel is added only when the consonant cluster is unacceptable in final position according to phonotactical rules. When the consonant cluster is acceptable, no vowel is inserted.
A small amount of nouns diplay irregular plural endings:
| -ir | |
| -i | |
| -iš |
This endings usually trigger irregular consonantal and vocalic changes in the noun root (often due to methaponic processes).
An example is shown below: roɣur, eye.
| roɣur | ruɣir | |
| rog | ruɣi | |
| roɣuš | ruɣiš | |
From the previous example it can be noticed that nouns, whose nominative singular form ends in -ɣur, usually display an accusative singular form ending in -g.
Some nouns, conversely, display unpredictable irregularities, both vocalic and consonantal, in the noun root.
An example is shown below: rəjr, thing.
| rəjr | rəjrĩ | |
| ri | rĩ | |
| rəjš | rəjšũ | |
As noun declension often displays multiple irregularities, in the vocabulary section the accusative singular form is always cited for an irregular noun, while the accusative plural form is cited only when necessary:
- swõnur, n. (swõ), house.
- roɣur, n. (rog, ruɣi), eye.
Numerals
The numeral system relies on a decimal base.
The first ten cardinal numbers are noun-like forms on their own:
| šwov | |
| ug | |
| miɣwo | |
| nwoh | |
| šwõ | |
| fwa | |
| hoše | |
| fu | |
| čwi | |
| fjev |
Numerals from 11 to 19 are built with the construction NUM + fjev, with some irregularities:
| šwofjev | |
| uɣifjev | |
| miɣwofjev | |
| nwofjev | |
| šwõfjev | |
| fwafjev | |
| hošefjev | |
| fufjev | |
| čwifjev |
The numerals for (one) hundred and (one) thousand are noun-like forms on their own:
| ňwož | |
| řa |
The numerals for the multiples of tens, hundreds and thousands are built with the construction NUM + fjewdũ / ňwoždũ / řadũ, with some irregularities:
| uɣifjewdəj | uɣiňwoždũ | uɣiřadũ | |
| miɣwofjewdũ | miɣwoňwoždũ | miɣwořadũ | |
| nwofjewdũ | nwoňwoždũ | nwořadũ | |
| šwõfjewdũ | šwõňwoždũ | šwõřadũ | |
| fwafjewdũ | fwaňwoždũ | fwařadũ | |
| hošefjewdũ | hošeňwoždũ | hošeřadũ | |
| fufjewdũ | fuňwoždũ | fuřadũ | |
| čwifjewdũ | čwiňwoždũ | čwiřadũ |
Composite numbers are built by just putting them beside, without any conjunction, in descending order:
- 1985: řa čwiňwoždũ fufjewdũ šwõ
All cardinal numerals up to these forms are meant as invariable.
Numerals for “million” and “billion” are loanwords from other languages:
| čãčãr (from β. ʈʂʼamʈʂʼam) | |
| mešurentur (from I. mêšúrěntu) |
These forms are treated as regularly declinable nouns:
| miɣwo čãčãrĩ | |
| fwa mešurenturĩ |
If these numerals are used as simple count forms, they are declined in the nominative case. Inside of a structured sentence, they are declined according the case required by their syntactical role. Nouns adjoining such numerals are declined in the oblique case:
šwov čãčãr fožašũ one million people
kwov ug mešurentušu fožašũ to two billions people
In the earlier modern period the idea of “zero” is introduced from Iðâɣ language. This numeral is however usually limited to mathematics:
| xesu (from I. xesú) |
Ordinal numerals are formed by adding the ordinal ending -dur (-d) to the cardinal numeral form, with an irregular suppletive form and some other irregularities:
| rošdur (rošd) | |
| uɣidur (uɣid) | |
| miɣwodur (miɣwod) | |
| nudur (nud) | |
| šwõdur (šwõd) | |
| fwadur (fwad) | |
| hošedur (hošed) | |
| fudur (fud) | |
| čwidur (čwid) | |
| fjewdur (fjewd) | |
| šwofjewdur (šwofjewd) | |
| uɣifjewdur (uɣifjewd) | |
| uɣifjewdəjdur (uɣifjewdəjd) | |
| fwafjewdũdur (fwafjewdũd) |
Ordinal numerals for “millionth” and “billionth” are regularly formed from their corresponding cardinal forms, while their multiples are formed by unifying the separated forms in an only adjectival word:
| čãčãdur (čãčãd) | |
| mešurentudur (mešurentud) | |
| miɣwomešurentudur (mešurentud) |
If the numeral form is composite, the ending is added only to the last numeral form:
- 25th: uɣifjedəj šwõdur
Pronominal numerals
Every cardinal number may display, moreover, a special pronominal form. This form is to be used strictly when referring to human beings. This numerals are built by adding the derivative ending -for to the cardinal numeral form, with some irregularities:
| uɣifor | |
| miɣwofor | |
| nufor | |
| šwõfor | |
| fwafor | |
| hošefor | |
| fufor | |
| čwifor | |
| fjewfor | |
| šwofjewfor | |
| uɣifjewfor | |
| uɣifjewdəjfor | |
| fwafjewdũfor |
If the numeral form is composite, the ending is added only to the last numeral form:
- 25: uɣifjedəj šwõfor
Pronominal numerals can be formed from every cardinal numeral, except for the numeral "one", "million" and "billion" and the multiples of the latter two ones.
These forms decline only in singular number. They, however, display a complete singular declension. If present, the verb always agrees with the personal numeral in the singular number.
miɣwofo řirušjidũ jẽnõ we saw three (of them)
miɣwofor õt řirušjid jẽh three (of them) saw us
The pronominal forms, however, can be adjoined by a noun. This is built with a peculiar construction. The personal numerals are declined in the singular, while the adjoining nouns are always declined in the oblique plural form. If present, the verb always agrees with the personal numeral in the singular number.
miɣwofo řirušũ řirušjidũ jẽnõ we saw three men
miɣwofor řirušũ õt řirušjid jẽh three men saw us
The pronominal forms tend to be placed before the adjoining nouns. In colloquial language and in some texts, the adjoining noun can be placed before the pronominal numeral.
řirušũ miɣwofor õt řirušjid jẽh three men saw us
This placement, albeit spreading in some dialects, is not accepted in formal language and widely deprecated by grammarians.
