Naal: Nouns
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Overview of the function of Naal nouns
This public article was written by [Deactivated User], and last updated on 21 Sep 2021, 00:52.
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1. Naal: Nouns
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2. Naal: Verbs
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3. Naal: Voice
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This article is a work in progress! Check back later in case any changes have occurred.
This article is a work in progress! Check back later in case any changes have occurred.
Nouns in Naal do not decline. Case is indicated through a system of suffixes, while number is totally absent from noun morphology. Nouns are also subject to reduplication for a variety of purposes, which will be elaborated on later.
Affixes in Naal take on two positions in reference to their function on the root word. Affixes that simply change something in relation to the root (case, possession, spatial position, etc.) in a non-permanent way are head-final. Affixes that change the fundamental existence of the root or are otherwise permanent changes to it (noun incorporation, property affixes, reduplication) are head-initial.
| property | reduplication | noun compound | root | agentive | possessor | case |
sapubuukko'ǵanal
ABUnknown code-MASSUnknown code-animal-road-AGUnknown code-1s.POSSPossessive (case)
owns, has-GENGenitive (case)
possessive
'of my game herdsman's quality'
Naal has 6 primary noun cases: Absolutive, Ergative, Accusative, Genitive, Dative, and Locative. In addition to this, the locative has 7 subcases that are attached to it (the bare locative is never used).
| Absolutive | |
|---|---|
| Ergative | -(a)k |
| Accusative | -(a)r |
| Genitive | -al |
| Dative | -(a)z |
| Directive | -(y)e |
| Locative | -(a)b- |
Locative Sub-Cases
Lative - shows movement towards something (-a)
Ablative - shows movement away from something (-ii)
Ablative 2 - expresses temporal movement or movement away from a source/origin (-o')
Terminative - shows movement towards/up to a goal, location, person, or a point in time (-al)
Essive - shows position in the general vicinity (-u)
Superessive - shows position over or on top of (-an)
Subessive - shows position below or underneath of (-yoo)
Naal is a split-ergative language. The use of the Three Agent-Patient cases depends on the voice of the verb.
Absolutive
The Absolutive case functions as the subject of a transitive verb in indicative sentences. In addition, it functions as the subject in dithematic verbs.
Ergative
The Ergative marks the subject of intransitive verbs, as well as plays the role of the agent of passive sentences opposite the accusative case. In causitive constructions, the ergative marks the supine.
Accusative
The accusative is only used in the active voice to mark the recipient of the supine. In passive constructions, the accusative marks the direct object of the construction, and in the antipassive, the accusative marks the subject.
Reduplication serves a number of functions in Naal. the most common form of reduplication is reduplication of the initial C(C)V construction of the initial syllable.
Reduplication of the initial syllable of the root
This is the most common kind of reduplication in Naal. Reduplicating the initial consonant and syllable of a noun. In the case of a vowel initial syllable the syllable is reproduced glottalized. This construction represents mass nouns, and nouns of large scale generality, or more abstract elements of the word
buuk 'animal' > pubuuk 'wildlife, livestock'
e'ner 'person, man' > e'en 'population, the people'
sab 'fire' > sazab 'heat'
Monosyllabic Vowel
Monosyllabic reduplication is used to form adverbs from nouns
buuk 'animal' > ubuuk 'by/though animal' (e.g. kuu ubuuk az - I go by animal/i travel on an animal)
e'ner 'person' > e'ener 'publicly'
sab 'fire' > azab 'in flames'
Reduplication of the final syllable
Reduplicating the final syllable is used to verbalize a noun.
buuk 'animal' > buuguk 'to raise livestock'
e'ner'person' > e'nrer 'to be social'
sab 'fire' > sabap 'to burn'
Full reduplication
Full reduplication comes in two forms:
1. Incorporated full reduplication
2. Disjunct full reduplication
Incorporated Full Reduplication
In this case, the whole noun is reduplicated and attached to the front of the word.
buuk >buugbuuk
This form of reduplication creates a sort of abstract noun that requires the existence of the reduplicated root.
buuk 'animal'
buugbuuk 'husbandry, pastoralism'
sab 'fire'
sabzab 'cremation, incineration'
Disjunct full reduplication
This form of reduplication simply repeats the word without attaching it as a root, and is used to give emphasis to a topic.
K̂weel sab sab buukak - The animals made *a fire*! ✎ Edit Article ✖ Delete Article
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