Ancient Figo morphology
- Main article: Ancient Figo
This page gives an extensive description of ancient Figo morphological features.
Nouns
Nouns in ancient Figo language end almost exclusively in a vowel. A certain number of nouns may end in a consonant; in this case a euphonic vowel, -ə-, is added at the end of noun before the normal declension endings.
Nouns are grouped into two declension classes: animate nouns or class I and inanimate nouns or class II. The first class generally includes nouns indicating animate beings, namely capable of intentional motion or action, while the second class includes inanimate objects or entities. As a rule, we can sketch out the following scheme:
- class I: human beings, animals, deities
- class II: plants, objects, ideas, feelings, senses, perceptions
A noun is not irreversibly included in one of the two classes, as nouns lack clear morphological marks for each class. For example, there are some logical-semantical exceptions, like the word ogō, wind, which firmly belongs to class I, or čiš, water, which freely shifts from a class to the other during the history of the language, depending on the overall cultural perception of the noun’s animateness degree, being thus regarded as a lifeless object or a moving entity.
Despite the general lack of morphological markers in the basic forms, being thus unable to distinguish the two classes, the declension patterns depend on which class a noun belongs to.
There are three morphological numbers for almost all nouns, singular, dual, and plural.
The dual number is used when two entities are mentioned (or when these entities are usually found in couple):
sobanu līločow I see dogs (three, four, some, many, …)
sobaj līločow I see two dogs (it cannot be any other number)
In this case, the usage of the numeral ogi, two, is not required. It can be used, however, to highlight the value of the numeral.
ogi sobaj līločow I see two dogs (the amount of two is purposedly highlighted)
The dual number is not a continuously stable feature per se in the history of ancient Figo language. It is largely used in the classical period, while it tends to be always introduced by the numeral in the first later period. It begins to die out in the texts of the later period, except for those nouns which are typically found in couple, like rogu, eye.
Cases
Ancient Figo nouns do decline, according to an active-stative system with 7 cases:
| Agentive | This case marks primarily the subject of a transitive verb. It is also used to mark the subject of an intransitive verb, which displays a certain degree of activity, will or intention in performing the said action or in being in a certain state. It can be used only with nouns belonging to class I. |
| Passive | This case marks primarily the direct object of a transitive verb. It is also used to mark the subject of an intransitive verb, which displays no degree of activity, will or intention in performing the said action or in being in a certain state. It is regarded as the base form of the noun, and it is used as the vocative form. |
| Genitive | This case marks possession and belonging, either intentional, unintentional, or indirect. It also marks the origin or the source. |
| Dative | This case marks primarily the indirect object. In a broad sense, it can also mark the final point of a movement (motion toward a place). |
| Causative | This case marks the reason or the cause, which are the source 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. It can be used only with nouns belonging to class II. |
| Locative | This case marks the place where an action is performed, or a certain state exist (stative location). It can also have a temporal value. It can be used only with nouns belonging to the class II. |
The cases are usually classified in 4 groups:
- Primary main cases: agentive
- Secondary main cases: passive, ablative
- Primary oblique cases: dative, causative
- Secondary oblique cases: instrumental, locative
Other types of clause complements are conveyed using various postpositions, which can select one or more cases.
Noun declension
Nouns are declined for case and number by adding the following endings to the base form of the noun:
| -li | -lī | -linu | ||||
| - | -j1 | -nu | - | -j1 | -nu | |
| -ɕu | -ɕuj | -ɕunu | -ɕu | -ɕuj | -ɕunu | |
| -he | -hej | -henu | -he | -hej | -henu | |
| -xu | -xuj | -xunu | -xu | -xuj | -xunu | |
| -xe | -xej | -xenu | ||||
| -car | -cari | -carnu | ||||
1 If the noun ends in -i in the base form, the dual passive desinence merges with the vowel resulting in -ī. If the noun ends in -ī in the base form, the dual passive ending will be identical to the base form, in -ī.
Some examples are shown below: a class I noun, pobu, father, and a class II noun, sōnu, house.
| pobuli | pobulī | pobulinu | ||||
| pobu | pobuj | pobunu | sōnu | sōnuj | sōnunu | |
| pobuɕu | pobuɕuj | pobuɕunu | sōnuɕu | sōnuɕuj | sōnuɕunu | |
| pobuhe | pobuhej | pobuhenu | sōnuhe | sōnuhej | sōnuhenu | |
| pobuxu | pobuxuj | pobuxunu | sōnuxu | sōnuxuj | sōnuxunu | |
| sōnuxe | sōnuxej | sōnuxenu | ||||
| sōnucar | sōnucari | sōnucarnu | ||||
As for the rules, the endings for the secondary oblique cases cannot be added to a class I noun, while the endings for the primary main case cannot be added to a class II noun.
In nouns ending in a consonant a vowel -ə-, is usually added between the root and the normal declension endings:
pass. čiš → gen. čišəɕu, dat. čišəhe, ...
Some nouns, like sōnu, may display some irregularity when the declension endings are added. In most cases the final vowel -u is changed into -o. This kind of irregularities is sporadic and typical of the earlier period texts.
pass. sōnu → gen. sōnoɕu, dat. sōnohe, ...
Numerals
The numeral system relies on a decimal base.
Cardinal numerals
The first ten cardinal numbers are noun-like forms on their own:
| ɕōw | |
| ogi | |
| migō | |
| nōh | |
| čōn | |
| θūha | |
| hoɕe | |
| šu | |
| cōju | |
| fēw |
Numerals from 11 to 19 are built with the construction NUM + fēw:
| ɕōwfēw | |
| ogifēw | |
| migōfēw | |
| nōhfēw | |
| čonfēw | |
| θūhafēw | |
| hoɕefēw | |
| šufēw | |
| cōjufēw |
Some of these numerals have an alternative form:
| nōhəfēw | |
| čonəfēw |
These form are limitedly used only in texts in the pre-classic period, and they are completely obsolete in the classic period.
The numerals for (one) hundred and (one) thousand are noun-like forms on their own:
| ňōšu | |
| liā |
The numerals for the multiples of tens, hundreds and thousands are built with the construction NUM + fēwtunu / ňōšunu / liānu, with some irregularities:
| ogifēwtuj | ogiňōšuj | ogiliāj | |
| migōfēwtunu | migōňōšunu | migōliānu | |
| nōhfēwtunu | nōhəňōšunu | nōhliānu | |
| čonfēwtunu | čonəňōšunu | čonliānu | |
| θūhafēwtunu | θūhaňōšunu | θūhaliānu | |
| hoɕefēwtunu | hoɕeňōšunu | hoɕeliānu | |
| šufēwtunu | šuňōšunu | šuliānu | |
| cōjufēwtunu | cōjuňōšunu | cōjuliānu |
Some of these numerals have an alternative form:
| nōhəfēwtunu | nōhəliānu | |
| čonəfēwtunu | čonəliānu |
These form are limitedly used only in texts in the pre-classic period, and they are completely obsolete in the classic period.
Numbers above the multiples of thousands have no name and are specified by the lesser numerals.
Composite numbers are built by just putting them beside, without any conjunction, in descending order:
- 1985: liā cōjuňōšunu šufēwtunu čon
All cardinal numerals are meant as invariable forms.
Every cardinal number may display, moreover, a special form. This form is to be used strictly when referring to human beings. This numerals are built by adding the derivative ending -fū to the cardinal numeral form:
| ɕōwfū | |
| ogifū | |
| migōfū | |
| nōhfū | |
| čōnfō | |
| θūhafū | |
| hoɕefū | |
| šufū | |
| cōjufū | |
| fēwfū | |
| ɕōwfēwfū | |
| ogifēwfū | |
| ogifēwtujfū | |
| θūhafēwtunufū |
Some of these numerals have an alternative form:
| nōhəfū | |
| čonəfū |
These form are limitedly used only in texts in the pre-classic period, and they are completely obsolete in the classic period.
If the numeral form is composite, the ending is added only to the last numeral form:
- 25: ogifēwtuj čonfū
This form is called personal numeral, and it can be treated either as an adjectival or a pronominal form.
In adjectival form they agree in case and number with their adjoining name. They thus display a complete I class declension, as they can only specify a I class noun.
migōfūnu līrunu alolīčohon we saw three men
In pronominal form they decline only in singular number. They thus display a singular I class declension, as they can refer to a I class noun.
migōfū alolīčohon we saw three (of them)
In their pronominal forms, however, these numerals can be adjoined by a noun. This is built with a peculiar construction. The personal numerals are declined in the singular, while the adjoining numbers are always declined in the genitive plural form. If present, the verb always agrees with the personal numeral in the singular number.
migōfū līrunuɕu alolīčohon we saw three men
migōfūli līrunuɕu junu alolīčeš three men saw us
Ordinal numerals
Ordinal numerals are formed by adding the ordinal ending -du to the cardinal numeral form, with an irregular suppletive form:
| roɕdu | |
| ogidu | |
| migōdu | |
| nōhdu | |
| čōndu | |
| θūhadu | |
| hoɕedu | |
| šudu | |
| cōjudu | |
| fēwdu | |
| ɕōwfēwdu | |
| ogifēwdu | |
| ogifēwtujdu | |
| θūhafēwtunudu |
Some of these numerals have an alternative form:
| nōhədu | |
| čonədu |
These form are limitedly used only in texts in the pre-classic period, and they are completely obsolete in the classic period.
If the numeral form is composite, the ending is added only to the last numeral form:
- 25th: ogifēwtuj čondu
