Höśikə morphology
- Main article: Höśikə
This page gives an extensive description of Höśikə morphological features.
Nouns
Nouns in Höśikə language can end either in a vowel or in a consonant, although there is a marked tendency for the vocalic ending. Nouns ending in a consonant usually add a euphonic vowel before the normal declension endings.
Nouns display neither gender nor class distinction. Nouns are divided and categorized in six declension groups, each distinguished by the plural formation and the last phoneme of the word.
There are, moreover, two morphological numbers for almost all nouns, singular and plural, and a limited case system. Nouns also display two forms, the indefinite form and the definite form, the latter being built by adding the postposed definite article.
Cases
Höśikə nouns do decline, according to a nominative-accusative system with 2 cases:
| Direct | This case marks both the subject and the direct object of a verb. It can be also used with some prepositions. 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 prepositions. It can be occasionally used without prepositions, with some verbs, and it may mark the indirect object in some kinds of pronouns. |
Articles
There is only one article, the definite article, which is placed after the first element in the noun cluster as a suffixal form. It agrees with the noun cluster only in number.
In the singular direct case two forms of the article are listed. The choice between the two forms depends on the last phoneme of the definite word:
- žə is placed after a word ending with a vowel.
- ɛž is placed after a word ending with a consonant.
A noun or another element with the definite article attached is regarded as being in its definite form. A noun or another element without the article is regarded as being in its indefinite form.
When a noun cluster has more than one element, the article is attached only to the first element. Other elements remain in their indefinite form.
kɛvə - kɛvəžə a wolf - the wolf
ruqažə qokjə rimusjyti the good old shepherd
