Siră Kăntânări: Nouns

A bit more "flavour" of Siră Kăntânări, for those interested (if any...)

Siră Kăntânări: Nouns

Overview

One of the most striking peculiarities in Siră Kăntânări is the strict classification of its nouns into a large number of noun classes, each of these uses a totally different set of verb stems and adjective stems dedicated solely for it.

Nouns in Siră Kăntânări are not distinguished from one another on the basis of gender. Instead, they are grouped together according to noun classes.

The noun classes in Siră Kăntânări can be compared to those of Swahili, only their number is larger and the rules with which they are classified are much more flexible and complicated. That is, the same noun can belong to several different classes depending on context or indeed on the speaker’s personal choice to best express his/her idea, thus taking completely different sets of verb/adjective stems to express slightly different verbal/adjectival meanings which are normally translated to our languages using the same word.

Thus, in a couple of words, a simple Siră Kantânări sentence can convey deeper layers of meaning that can only be translated into our major languages such as English using a larger number of morphological, lexical and/or syntactical measures.

For example:

Êksiv ăbsimăv. It rains. (Literally: “The rain goes”).

In this sentence the speaker simply wants to convey a “neutral” information about a going-on natural fact without any personal comment, remark or emotion whatsoever attached. Thus, she/he chooses to use the noun “rain” as classified under the class “Natural elements”, hence the corresponding verb stem is used accordingly.

This can be translated into English in the simplest manner: “It rains”.

Consider, though, the following sentence:

Êksiv urdatăv.

In this sentence the speaker wants to make an emphasis on the adverse impact the fact of rain falling may have to herself/himself in a number of different ways. Thus, she/he chooses to use the noun “rain” as classified under the class “Unwanted/disturbing objective/inanimate elements”, hence another verb stem, with the same lexical meaning yet completely different in phonological structure (urdată as compared with ăbsimă), is used instead.

This underlying sense can only be partly conveyed into English with the addition of, say, overtly subjective exclamatory remarks, like “Oh no, it rains!”

A standard Siră Kăntânări dictionary, therefore, would list nouns grouped into noun classes or “noun categories”, along with verb stems and adjective stems dedicated solely to each of these categories.

Another peculiarity of Siră Kăntânări noun systems is the use of the unique so-called “nominal-verbal conjugations”, each of these can be created exclusively for each individual noun-verb combination. That is, any combination of a particular noun and a particular verb form can theoretically entail a unique nominal-verbal conjugation element attached. While the rules with which these elements can be created are rather complicated, they are not unlearnable.

In fact, these elements are not absolutely necessary and thus often omitted in conversational speech. However, a certain knowledge of these elements is still essential, for a number of these nominal-verbal conjugations plays a role in creating quite a large array of other actual nouns that, in their turn, are widely used in daily conversations as well as stylistic discourses and literary works.

In Siră Kăntânări, nouns are inflected intensively to express different tenses, moods, and aspects of the action. Although verbs do sometimes act in the same manner, the extent to which nouns are inflected is so strikingly large and the significance of the grammatical information encoded in this manner so weighty that the language is notoriously dubbed “noun-centered language” by some linguists.

Noun Classes

(to be added) 

Noun Inflections

Overview

In Siră Kăntânări, verbs are not conjugated to express different tenses of the action. In this respect it bears some similarity with Old Tupi or Wolof languages. On the other hand, they do change their forms in a number of cases to convey aspectual meanings. Taking this into consideration, however, you should remember that most of the tenses, moods and aspects in Siră Kăntânări are expressed by way of inflecting nouns and pronouns rather than verbs.

A Siră Kăntânări noun may have at least four sets of inflections, or “cases”, as we may call them:

- Nominal forms

            + equative case

            + genitive case

- Temporal cases

            + preterit case

            + preterit-dubitative case

            + preterit-reportative case

            + preterit-speculative/inferential case

            + preterit-desiderative case

            + present negative temporal case

            + present desiderative case

            + present speculative/inferential case

            + future active case

            + future-dubitative case

- Spatial cases

+ proximate case

+ obviative case

+ “super” obviative case

+ negative spatial case
- “Ontological” cases

+ active case

+ passive case

+ negative ontological case

+ “state in the past” case

+ “future development” case

+ animate case

+ inanimate case

+ “to have the assurance to do smt”

+ “to have the heart to do smt”

+ “supernatural”, “omnipotent”, “omnipresent” case

Theoretically, any noun in Siră Kantânări can possess all of these declensions. In fact, however, for the majority of nouns only a limited number of declensions are actually used. Some forms are quite frequently used in normal speech; some appear mainly in special situations and formal occasions, some find their place exclusively in literary works and academic discourses, and still others can be theoretically built yet almost never actually used.

These declensions take numerous forms, following a stunningly large set of complicated morphological change patterns.

These patterns include, among others: changing one or several of the consonants/vowels within the noun (which can be defined variously as ablaut or simulfix); “simply” adding prefixes/suffixes to the noun; by means of duplifix, i.e. full or partly reduplication of one or several morphemes within the noun; suprafix, i.e. merely changing the stress or tone of the noun stem; and substituting the entire noun stem with a completely different one.

The majority of these patterns, however, take the form of a “hidden” affixal derivational series gradually “unfolding” itself along the noun, with several syllables “dangling” and “reproducing” themselves around a so-called “kernel” infix. This kernel affix varies greatly depending on both the different noun classes and the different types of inflections.

As a rule, the infix appears after the penultimate consonant, i.e. the consonant next to the last one of the noun. There are, however, certain exceptions to this rule.

For example:

taikăn, “man” -> taikâhăn ->  taikăk’hăn -> taikākâhăn -> taikâhāgâhăn 
(note the slight sound change from k to g)

Note: In this example and many other examples hereunder, the inflectional forms are shown for the temporal inflectional series, marking (1) the proximate past (i.e. within a day ago); (2) the middle past (i.e. within a week ago or so); (3) the distant past (i.e. within, say, a year or a couple of years ago); and (4) the “inconceivably/inacessibly remote” past (i.e. so many years or maybe centuries ago).

More exactly speaking, each of these patterns take the form of a fixed set of syllables, consisting of a kernel and several “peripheral phonemes”. In fact, the kernel can turn out to be a pair of recycling phonemes rather than one single phoneme.

As for the peripheral phonemes, one of them can be the reduplication of one of the syllables of the noun stem, while another can be the reduplication of the kernel itself. In the example above, the kernel infix is âh, while the peripheral phonemes are ă/ā, coupled with the reduplication of the penultimate consonant of the noun, k.

This also applies to “prefixal derivational series” and “suffixal derivational series”. For example:

zplŏdni “spring” (a current of water)

mārzplŏdni “spring in the proximate past” (i.e. within a day ago)

mâmārzplŏdni “spring in the middle past” (i.e. within a week ago or so)

(the syllable mā being reduplicated, albeit partly, i.e. “half” of the prolonged vowel ā)

mămâzarzplŏdni  “spring in the distant past” (i.e. within a year or a couple of years ago)

(again, the syllable mā is reduplicated, with some sound changes, plus a “cloned” consonant z taken from the noun root)

mâzăzâmărzplŏdni “spring in the inconceivably/inacessibly distant past”

(now it's the consonant z that is reduplicated to the left of the syllable za created in the previous grade, coupled with slight phonemic value changes of the a vowels)

The fact is, however, the majority of these derivational series occur with a kernel infix rather than a kernel prefix or kernel suffix.

(…)

On the other hand, the stress also changes its position along the noun, exerting the effect of the so-called suprafix, i.e. a morphological or lexical change by means of change in tone or stress rather than in the phonological base of a word. In some cases, it turns out that the stress itself plays the decisive role in an inflectional set, of course in combination with the set of affixes.

For example:

pékhutăr (mountain) >>   pepékhutăr (mountain in an immediate past)

                                      pepekhútâhăr (mountain in the middle past)

                                      pepekhutátâhăr (mountain in a distant past)

                                      pepekhutâtátâhăr (mountain in a very, very distant past) 

As we can see, in the first grade of this temporal past set of inflections, the first syllable pe in the noun stem is reduplicated and added to the beginning of the noun. In the second grade of the set, the infix -âh-, one element of the kernel pair, appears right after the penultimate consonant t of the noun, however the stress does not fall on this infix, instead it is made on the syllable khu. In the third grade of the set, the other element of the kernel pair, -a-, appears in front of the previous kernel, taking the reduplicated consonant t and the stress. Finally, another ta syllable is reduplicated again, now being inserted between the two syllables tâ of the previous grade and taking the stress.

Note that the stress makes a “step-by-step promotion” along the length of the word.

This is one of the most prevailing patterns of nominal inflection in Siră Kantânări. As mentioned earlier, the choice to use this pattern or other ones depends on either the noun class to which this particular noun belongs, or the phonological structure of the noun itself.  

Most Frequently Used Noun Declensions

Normal spatial case

-ăr-

For example:

taikăn >>  taikărăn (proximate) “man who's over there”

                taikărâkăn (obviate)
                “man who's over there on the horizon but still in sight”

                 taikârărâkăn (“super” obviate)
                 “man who's so far to fall out of sight”

For example:

Bonkârărâkăn-sti, nărnâli jhémzî êsanúihên.

The young lad who’s not here thinks of you every night.

Negative spatial case

-ül/ul-

For example:

taikăn >>   taikülăn “the man who is not here (at this moment)”

                 taikülâhăn “the man who was not here in the immediate/near past”

                 taikülălâhăn “the man who had not been here in the distant past 
                 or before a completed action/specified point of time in the distant
                 past”

For example:

Taikülăn jdek yrígên.

The man is not here.

Jygâhülăk njăkrâi-kăl yrígêk.

The chief was not present at the square.

Negative temporal case

-yrd/ürd-

taikăn >>   taikyrdăn “man who no longer exists; man who has (recently) died”

                 taikâgyrdăn “man who is dead; man who died long ago”     

hênýnă >> hênynýrdă “the deceased dreamer; the dreamer who no longer exists”

For example:

Taikyrdăn-sti, nărnâli jhémzî êsanúihên.

The man who no longer exists thought of you every night.

Negative ontological case

-ém-

For example:

taikăn >>   taikémăn “he who was once a man (now he's no longer a man, he may have turned into a woman in some sense, for example, yet he's still alive)”

                 taikâhémăn “he who had once been a man”

hêkbêgür >> hêkbêgémür “he who was once a teacher”

For example:

Ūldonhêkbêgémür Börâkhon-sti bonkíbrăn ékbăgürŏr.

The old man, who was once a teacher, now studies at Börâkhon like a youngster.

Future ontological case

-osht-

For example:

taikăn      >>  taikoshtăn “he who will be a man (soon)”

                     taikâhoshtăn “he who'll be a man sometime (in an indefinite future)

hékbégür >> hékbégoshtür “he who will be a teacher; teacher-to-be”

                    hékbégâhoshtür “he who would become a teacher at a certain point
                     in the past”   

Hékbégâhoshtür snikă-du gâman-ü mâjiógăr.

The teacher-to-be made the woman read the book.

(Normal) passive case

-âb/ăb-

For example:

taikăn >>    taikâbăn “man who is subject to some action in the present”

                  taikâhăbăn “man who was subject to some action in the past”

For example:

Taikâbăn dăn'ŏthbítön.

The man is beaten.

Taikâbăn lŏn’iszítön.

The man is hurt. è lŏn’iszítaikâbăn “a/the man who is hurt”

Flăvâirâhăbid kūn’üzülăd. “The poet had smt stolen”, “The poet suffered from smt of his being stolen” or “The poet fell victim to a thief”.

Past agentive case

-âh/ăh/hā/ā-

For example:

taikăn >>    taikâhăn “(the same) man in the immediate past”

                  taikăkâhăn “(the same) man in the distant past”

                  taikâhăkâhăn “(the same) man in the 'inconceivably distant' past”

For example:

Hékbégâhür snikă-du gâman-ü mâjiógăr.

The teacher (has) made the woman read the book.

Knêdăthâhon bd-ü ănŏdgálin.

The cart-driver opened the door.

Future agentive case

-um/ym-

For example:

taikăn >>        taikúmăn “(the same) man in the future”

hékbégür >>   hékbégymür “the (same) teacher in the future”

snikă   >>       snikýmă “the (same) woman in the future”   

For example:

Taikúmăn văth’-abshlér okâjoikén.

The man will go towards the house.

Hêkbégymür snikă-du gâman-ü mâjiógăr.

The teacher will make the woman read the book.

Knêdâthýmon bd-ü tkŏinénst ănŏdgálin.

The cart-driver will open the door for you.

Desiderative/Volitive Case

-ăg/âltig/ăltig-

For example:

taikăn >>        taikâltígăn “man who wants (smb/smt, to do smt)”

                      taikâhăltígăn “man who wanted (smb/smt, to do smt)”

oyýn    >>       oy’âltigýn “father who wants”

                      oy’âhăltigýn “father who wanted”

hêkbégür >>   hékbégâltígür “teacher who wants”

                      hékbégâhăltígür “teacher who wanted”

Tmurdâhăltígyn istâry-v êskâdyrtun sög, oy’ăhýn ăgrílăhin.

Although my brother wanted to join the army, my father didn't allow it.

For example:

Oy’âhăltigýn jdek ygén.

Father wanted to be here.

Hêkbégâltigür snikă-du gâman-ü mâjiógăr.

The teacher wants to make the woman read the book.

This case, as we see below, can be combined with other case forms:

Hêkbégâhăltigür snikă-du gâman-ü mâjiógăr.

The teacher wanted to make the woman read the book.

Hêkbégâhoshtăltigür snikă-du gâman-ü mâjiógăr.

The teacher-to-be wanted to make the woman read the book.

Sgövâtăltígir vâgh-u ăgupátir.

(Maternal) grandma wants to play the vâgh (a musical instrument).

Abilitative case

-uzg/üzg-

For example:

taikăn      >>    taikúzgăn “the man who can…”

hêkbégür >>    hêkbêkúzgür “the teacher who can…” 

(note that the penultimate consonant g of the noun changes to k according to sound harmony rules)

spŏypülă >>     spŏypülúzgă “the coward who can…”

For example:

Bldoyyâtúzgir styh-ü êrgăndúvăr.

(Paternal) grandmother can lift up this plough.

This can also be combined with some other infixes to produce more complex structures.

For example:

taikăn >>       taikuzgéstăn “if the man can…”

                     taikâhuzgéstăn “if the man could…”

Bisgújüzgéstār tklaydtir-ü êrgăndúvăr, afghânsídist.

If the executioner can pick up this ax, you'll die.

Osdâhuzgéstol istăr-ü êskêdártîl, jgŏyŏgésür kur’ăsgânyr.

If the general had been able to send troops, the city would have been liberated.

- ăbdég/âbdég -

For example:

taikăn >>       taikăbdégăn “the man should…”

hiyănúhin >>  hiyănuhăbdégin “the handsome lad should…”

flăvâirid >>     flăvâirăbdégid “the poet should…”   

For example:

Is’úlăbdégămsi ayünkulehn-yi ădshemtégêm.

The soldiers should save the children.

Knêdâthăbdégon bd-ü tkŏinénst ănŏdgálin.

The cart-driver should open the door for you.

Obligative case

“Obligative mood is a directive mood that signals the speaker’s estimation of the necessity that the proposition expressed in his or her utterance be brought about”. This can be translated into English using auxiliaries such as “must”; “have to”; “ought to”.

- ebség-

For example:

taikăn >>        taikebségăn “the man must…”

hiyănúhin >>   hiyănuhebségin “the handsome lad must…”

flăvâirid >>      flăvâirebségid “the poet must…”      

For example:

Arrobebségauth jdek akoirésith.

Arrobauth must live here.

Knêdâthebségon bd-ü tkŏinénst ănŏdgálin.

The cart-driver must open the door for you.

(…)

Possessive case

-êsíp-

taikăn >>        taikêsípăn “of the man”

hiyănúhin >>   hiyănuhêsípin “of the handsome lad”

flăvâirid >>      flăvâirêsípid “of the poet”     

For example:

taikêsípăn-kómăgöl “the man’s dagger”

hêkbêgêsípür-sígŏn “the master’s book”

ghārdvêsípi-gbstălîm “the queen’s jewel necklace” (from ghārdvi “queen”)

mumêsípynséd-ézvol “my daughter’s fate” (from mumýn “daughter”)

knédâthêsípon mumêsípyn ŏföl “the cart-driver’s daughter’s (shaggy) hut; the (shaggy) hut of the cart-driver’s daughter” (from knédâthon “cart-driver” and mumýn “daughter”)

(to be continued, for those interested...)