Nouns

Introduction

Nouns inflect for motility (motile, sessile) and number (singular, plural). This mean that each noun has potentially four forms: motile singular, motile plural, sessile singular, and sessile plural. Not all nouns will have all four forms, and some nouns will have identical forms in two slots for phonological reasons.

Nouns come in a variety of noun classes. The most basic division yields two noun classes - animate and inanimate, with animate nouns considered to be naturally motile and inanimate nouns naturally sessile. Noun class is realized in two ways - first, the form (motile or sessile) that the noun takes as a subject of a verb of stance, and second, the pronoun used to reference this subject. This gives us four noun classes, numbered 1-4, where 1 and 2 are animate and 3 and 4 are inanimate. Looking at paradigm patterns can yield a different set of noun classes.

Noun Classes

Class 1 Nouns

Class 1 nouns have two patterns. Kinship terms have one pattern, and all other class 1 nouns follow the class 2 pattern, but still take the class 1 pronouns. Class 1 nouns include all rational animates, or potentially rational animates (like babies). All class 1 nouns take ma as a motile singular pronoun.

Kinship nouns take the class 2 suffixes in motile singular and plural, but use a different set of sessile suffixes, namely -eya (singular) and -navi (plural). For example:

mada (n1)

mother, female parent

	Motile	Sessile
Singular	mada	madeya
Plural	madna	madɨdiya

Other class 1 nouns use the class 2 paradigm: the motile plural suffix is -na and the sessile singular and plural suffixes are -ava and -navi:

hɨse (n1)

child, non-adult

	Motile	Sessile
Singular	hɨse	hɨsava
Plural	hɨsna	hɨsnavi

Of those that do end in -i, the i becomes y before a. Finally some nouns exist as both a kinship term and a regular class 1 noun. For example:

laki (n1)

a girl, a young female

	Motile	Sessile
Singular	laki	lakyava
Plural	lakina	lakinavi

laki (n1)

daughter, female offspring (any age)

	Motile	Sessile
Singular	laki	lakeya
Plural	lakina	lakɨdiya

Class 2 Nouns

Class 2 nouns include all other animates, including celestial and atmospheric phenomena, many terms referring to water, and the word for "word" sode. Class 2 also includes body parts and animal parts. Body parts can also take class 3 inflections if they are detached. All class 2 nouns take ha as a motile singular pronoun.

idɛl (n2)

a cat

	Motile	Sessile
Singular	idɛl	idɛlava
Plural	idɛlna	idɛlnavi

aɬka (n2)

sea; generally plural: surf; saltwater

	Motile	Sessile
Singular	aɬka	aɬkava
Plural	aɬkana	aɬkanavi

Class 3 Nouns

Class 3 nouns include tangible inanimates, such as objects, tools, artifacts and other things that can be touched. Class 3 nouns also include all plants and parts of plants. All class 3 nouns take di as a sessile singular pronoun.

gɛdɛ (n3)

boat, canoe

	Motile	Sessile
Singular	gɛdɨdɛn	gɛdɛ
Plural	gɛdɨdiya	gɛdi

pɛŋi (n3)

a cart or wagon

	Motile	Sessile
Singular	pɛŋɨdɛn	pɛŋi
Plural	pɛŋɨdiya	pɛŋi

Class 4 Nouns

Class 4 nouns include intangible things, abstract concepts, and anything that doesn't fit in the other three classes. Class 4 nouns also include all plants and parts of plants. All class 4 nouns take da as a sessile singular pronoun.

tene (n4)

story, tale

	Motile	Sessile
Singular	teneya	tene
Plural	tenɨdiya	teni

kɨŋi (n4)

want, need, desire

	Motile	Sessile
Singular	kɨŋeya	kɨŋi
Plural	kɨŋɨdiya	kɨŋi

Other Patterns in Nouns

Phonological Patterns

Some nouns do not lose the final vowel before the class 1/2 plural suffixes. Many of these end in -i, but not all. For example:

ɛlɛ (n1)

person

	Motile	Sessile
Singular	ɛlɛ	ɛlava
Plural	ɛlɛna	ɛlɛnavi

Of those that do end in -i, the i becomes y before a, but disappears before e, ɨ, or i.

doŋi (n2)

eye, eyes

	Motile	Sessile
Singular	doŋi	doŋyava
Plural	doŋina	doŋinavi

pɛŋi (n3)

a cart or wagon

	Motile	Sessile
Singular	pɛŋɨdɛn	pɛŋi
Plural	pɛŋɨdiya	pɛŋi

Some noun bases end in -h which assimilates to the following consonant. Nasals will also assimilate to a following nasal.

loho (n2)

the sun

	Motile	Sessile
Singular	loho	lohava
Plural	lonna	lonnavi

kyume (n1)

a man, a male person

	Motile	Sessile
Singular	kyume	kyumava
Plural	kyumma	kyummavi