Declensions:
Nouns in Gelveasar group into three declensions:
1st: Consonant stem. Generally masculine
2nd: Vowel stem. Generally feminine
3rd: Consonant stem. About half of this declension is Masculine nouns, half is feminine. The plural is formed by reduplicating the vowel and final consonant(s) of the last syllable. Other inflections are then added to the reduplicated syllable according to the pattern of the 1st decl singular.
For nouns the stem is the Singular Indefinite form. This is also the dictionary form of the noun, the form you will find it in in a wordlist or dictionary. If this ends in a consonant, then the noun is part of one of the Consonant Declensions (1st or 3rd). If it ends in a vowel, then the noun is part of the Vowel Declension, i.e the 2nd Declension.
Note that the Gender assignments for the declensions are only General. You will sometimes run across a 1st Declension noun that is feminine or a masculine 2nd Declesion.
Numbers:
Nouns can be either singular or plural. This is the differnce in English between "goose" and "geese."
Genders:
Nouns can be either Masculine or Feminine. With people and animals that people take care of (pets, livestock, etc.) the noun is generally of the same gender as the being it represents, regardless of the declension it is part of (this is known as natural gender, and is the way English assigns gender to its nouns). With plants that humans raise for food (ie crops), the noun is feminine, as are many words relating to soil or ground. Other plants, other animals, and inanimate objects tend to have random gender (generally determined by the noun's declension), although non-food trees tend to be masculine, as do predatory or large animals and weapons. Proffesions tend to differentiate by type. Nouns for farmers and people related to farming tend to be masculine, as do warriors and people in government. Doctors, merchants, cooks, and people who deal with animals are almost always feminine.
The gender only determines (unless I change the language, which may well happen) which pronoun is used with a given noun, since there is a definite form of the noun rather than a definite article and adjectives do not agree with their nouns
Diminuitive form:
Lke the -ito or -ita in Spanish, the -ette in French. Basically used to denote a particularly small or cute instance of the given noun. Eg. Dhamin: little man.
Cases:
Nominative/Accusative: Used to mark the direct subject and direct object of a sentence. The Accusative is placed before the verb, and the subject is placed before. The one exception to this is when there is a dative in a sentence that also has an accusative. The accusative is then kicked to the end of the sentence (although the question particle and other function words can sometimes end up there, in which case the accusative comes before them but after everything else.)
Sing Plur Sing dim Plur dim
1st decl - -ae -in -inae
1st defin -av -avae -im -imae
2nd decl - -: -n -:n
2nd def -v -:v -m -:m
Genitive/Dative: Although they decline identically, the Genitive and Dative cases are not used in the same way. The genitive is almost always attached to another noun, whereas the dative stands alone and replaces the Accusative at the beginning of a sentence. However, a dative can take a genitive.
The dative case confers the meaning of "to a," "for a," or "to/for the."
The genitive case confers the meaning of "of a/the" or of possesion (equivalent to English's "-'s").
Sing Plur SDim PDim
1st decl -ach -:ie -:ien -:ien
1st defin -achav -:iev -:iem -:iem
2nd decl -ch -ach -:n -:n
2nd def -chav -achav -cham -acham
Causative: Used as the "causer" with verbs in the causative, or the "wanter" in the volitional. However, if someone/thing causes itself to do something, or wants to do something (rather than wanting someone else to do it), the causative is not needed
Sing Plur SDim PDim
1st decl -at -atae -atan -atnae
1st defin -atav -atvae -atam -a'mae (admae)
2nd decl -t -:t -tan -:teen
2nd def -tav -:teev -tam -:teem
Material: Used to indicate the material from which something is made.
e.g. wood.mat house -> wooden house.
Sing Plur SDim PDim
1st decl -al -lae -lin -linae
1st defin -lav -lavae -lam -lamae
2nd decl -l -:l -lin -:lin
2nd def -lav -:leev -lam -:leem
Respective: "About the," "(speaking) of the,"also in questions it is sometimes used in a topic-marking sense like Japanese particle "wa." When the respective is used as an object (Eg "we spoke of them") it is placed where the accusative would go. (before the verb if there is no dative, after the verb and subject(s) if there is) When it is used for topic marking in a question it is placed before the rest of the sentence and seperated in speech by a pause, and in writing by a comma.
Sing Plur SDim PDim
1st decl -u -vae -oun -ounae
1st defin -ouv -ouvae -oem -oumae
2nd decl -va -:vee -van -:veen
2nd def -fav -:feev -fam -:feem
Partitive: For counting. Alye Dhletos. Iewp Tava. Das Dhelswanos. 3 houses, 2 rivers, 5 languages. In simple counting numbers take no inflection. In sentences they take the case of the noun they modify as if they were singular indefinite nouns:
E.g.
Iewpach Dhamosav Dhletae
Two-gen Man-part-plur-def House-plur
The two men's houses.
Sing Plur SDim PDim
1st decl -os -os -sin -sin
1st defin -sav -sav -sam -sam
2nd decl -s -s -sin -sin
2nd def -sav -sav -sam -sam
Essive: "As a" "Being a." Some dialects use this with "gos" rather than the nominative/accusative, (sometimes dropping "gos") and use the participle "gochs" to convey the meaning of "as a" or "being a."
E.g.
Standard:
Dham go Dien
I am a man.
Dhamir, 'anas gie Kel.
As a man, you are a tower. I.e you are tall.
Dialect:
Dhamir (go) Nir
I (am) a man.
gochs Dhamir, anasra (gie) lir.
Being (or as) a man, you (are) a tower.
Sing Plur SDim PDim
1st decl -ir -rae -rin -rinae
1st defin -rav -ravae -ram -ramae
2nd decl -r -:r -rin -:rin
2nd def -rav -:reev -ram -:reem
Examples:
1st Declension:
Sing Plur SDim PDim
Nom Dham Dhamae Dhamin Dhaminae
a Man (some) men little man little men
Def Dhamav Dhamavae Dhamim Dhamimae
The Man The men The little man The little men
Gen Dhamach Dheemie Dheemien Dhemien
a man's (some) men's a lm's (some) lm:'s
to a man to men to the lm to the lm:
Def Dhamachav Dheemiev Dheemiem Dheemiem
the man's the men's and so forth ------------------>
Caus Dhamat Dhamatae Dhamatan Dhamatnae
Standalone examples of the Causative are somewhat difficult to give, so a full sentence is needed. Examples will come soon
Def Dhamatav Dhamasae Dhamatam Dhamamae
For the material case "Dham" doesn't really make sense, so we will use "Majav" "Tree." Note that "Mayav" ends in "av" but it is not definite. The nominative definite of "Mayav" is "Mayavav."
Mat Mayaval Mayavlae Mayavlin Mayavlinae
made of tree made of trees made of a made of little tree
(ie wooden) little tree
Def Mayavlav Mayavlavae Mayavlam Mayavlamae
made of the tree and so forth asf. asf.
Back to "Dham"
Resp Dhamou Dhamvae Dhamoun Dhamounae
about a man about man about a lm about lm:
Def Dhamouv Dhamouvae Dhamoum Dhamoumae
about the man asf--------------------------------------->
Part Mete Dhamos Alje Dhamos Mete Dhamsin Eme Dhamsin
One man three men one lm 4 lm:
Def Mete Dhamsav Yp Dhamsav Mete Dhamsam And Dhamsam
The one man the two men the one lm the 5 lm:
Ess Dhamir Dhamrae Dhamrin Dhamrinae
As a man As men As a lm As lm:
Def Dhamrav Dhamravae Dhamrin Dhamrinae
As the man asf---------------------------------------->