(no subject)

[moonflower77]

 

nominative nouns

in the nominative case: number distinction present for all nouns
in the other cases: depends on whether the entity the noun refers to is human or non-human

* I decl. [non-humans]: no number distinction
* II decl. [human beings]: number distinction present, obligatory
* III decl. [human beings]: number distinction present, optional

interrogative nouns

referring to humans: 

mɛŋin? who (sg.)? : mikɨnti? who? (pl.)

the sg. nom. case has a different stem, [mɛŋin]. all the other sg. cases, as well as all the cases in the pl., are formed using the stem [mik]. the pl. nom. case, in particular, is formed by adding the plural marker -nti preceded by the linking vowel "ɨ". 

referring to non-humans: 

rjɛnut? who? what? (sg.) : rjɛnutɛt? who? what? (pl.)

the stem is the same, [rjɛnutɛ ~ rjanota]. the sg. nom. case is formed through dropping the final vowel of the stem; in the pl. nom. case it is restored and followed by the plural marker -t. 

demonstrative nouns

only if they refer to humans whose names are known or who are known to belong to a particular family

ŋotqɛn this (one), he : ŋotqɛnantɛ these (ones), they 
ɨnqɛn that (one), he : ɨnqɛnantɛ those (ones), they 

in the sg. nom. case, the final vowel of the stem [ŋotqɛna] or [ɨnqɛna] is dropped. in the pl. nom. case it is restored and followed by the plural marker -ntɛ. 

in any other situations - for all inanimate objects and animate beings, including humans:

ŋotqɛn this (one), he : ŋotqɛnat these (ones), they
ɨnqɛn that (one), he : ɨnqɛnat those (ones), they 

in the sg. nom. case, the final vowel of the stem [ŋotqɛna] or [ɨnqɛna] is dropped. in the pl. nom. case it is restored and followed by the plural marker -t.

determinative nouns

qol the other, another, one of ... : qutti (the) others

the sg. nom. case has a different stem, [qol]. all the other sg. cases, as well as all the cases in the pl., are formed using the stem [qut]. the pl. nom. case, in particular, is formed by adding the plural marker -ti. 

the other determinative nouns, chinit "-self, -selves, oneself, by oneself, on one's own", ɨmɨļo "all, everyone" and ɨmɨļɛtɨ "entire, whole, all of oneself", have no number distinction. 

referential nouns

referring to humans:

nirkɨŋut that person, whats-his-name : nirkɛnti those people, whats-theirs-name

the sg. nom. case has the special suffix -ŋut. the pl. nom. case is formed through adding the plural marker -nti to the stem [nirkɛ ~ nɛrka].

referring to non-humans: 

nikɨŋut that thing, whats-its-name : nikɛt those things, whats-their-name [nikɛ ~ nɛka]

the sg. nom. case has the special suffix -ŋut. the pl. nom. case is formed through adding the plural marker -t to the stem [nikɛ ~ nɛka].

singular

1. no affix:

* no changes to the stem:

ɨ'lqɛp nail (metal) [stem: ɨ'lqɛp ~ ɨ'lqap]
rjɛjip [stem: rjɛjip ~ rjajep]
lɨgɨp trap to catch fur animals [stem: lɨgɨp]
ajmak animal carcass [stem: ajmak]
vɛɛm river [stem: vɛɛm ~ vaam]
milgɛr rifle [stem: milgɛr ~ mɛlgar]
migchir work, job [stem: migchir ~ mɛgcher]
gɨjivqɛv mark, brand (for cattle) [stem: gɨjivqɛv ~ gɨjevqav]
rjɛt road [stem: rjɛt]
achɨŋ debt (borrowed money) [stem: achɨŋ]
rɛtɛm [stem: rɛtɛm ~ ratam]
gɨnnik animal [stem: gɨnnik ~ gɨnnɛk]
rjɛv whale [stem: rjɛv ~ rjav]
jatjol fox [stem: jatjol]
rɛkvɨt doe (female deer who is three or more years old) [stem: rɛkvɨt ~ rakvɨt]
mɛmɨl ring seal [stem: mɛmɨl]
ŋinqɛj boy [stem: ŋinqɛj ~ ŋɛnqaj]
ŋɛvɨsqɛt woman [stem: ŋɛvɨsqɛt ~ ŋavɨsqat]
a'achek young man, lad [stem: a'achek]
ɨnjiv uncle [stem: ɨnjiv ~ ɨnjev]

includes all non-affixal nouns whose stem has been formed through the reduplication of the root:

tintin ice [stem: tintin ~ tɛntɛn]
liglig egg [stem: liglig ~ legleg]
nɨmnɨm village, settlement [stem: nɨmnɨm]
pjoŋpjoŋ mushroom, toadstool [stem: pjoŋpjoŋ]
chotchot headboard, pillow [stem: chotchot]

as a rule, the stems of such nouns end in a consonant. stems that end in a vowel are much more rare; most of those are the proper names of people or animals, other nouns are a rare exception  - for example,atɛ dad, rarjo roast, roasted meat, cheritqɨļu slob, sloven, untidy individual.

if the stem ends in a vowel, it is usually reduced:

valɨ knife [stem: valä]
ɛrɨ boiled meat [stem: ɛrjɛ ~ arja]
vɨlpɨ spade [stem: vɨlpa]
ɛmɨgɨ leather sack [stem: ɛmɨgɛ ~ ɛmɨga]
aŋqɨ sea [stem: aŋqa]
umqɨ polar bear [stem: umqɛ ~ omqa]
rɨrkɨ walrus [stem: rɨrka]
vopqɨ elk, moose [stem: vopqa]
ɨmmɛmɨ mom [stem: ɨmmɛmɛ ~ ɨmmama]
ɛpɨ grandpa [stem: ɛpɛ ~ apa]
ɨnjɨ elder brother [stem: ɨnjɛ ~ ɨnja]

* with changes to the stem:

- the stem ends in a vowel and this final vowel is dropped:

uqqɛm plate, dish [stem: uqqɛmɛ ~ oqqama]
ɛɛk lantern, oil lamp [stem: ɛɛkɛ ~ aaka]
inɛŋ load [stem: inɛŋɛ ~ ɛnaŋa]
ɛ'lɨtkunɛŋ hoe [stem: ɛ'lɨtkunɛŋɛ ~ a'lɨtkonaŋa]
uttɛmɨg barrel [stem: uttɛmɨgɛ ~ ottamɨga]
tɛvɛnaŋ oar [stem: tɛvɛnaŋa]
ajkol bed, bedding [stem: ajkolä]
imchjɛchuk ermine [stem: imchjɛchukɛ ~ ɛmchjachoka]
milüt hare [stem: milütɛ ~ mɛlöta]
pɨchiq little bird [stem: pɨchiqɛ ~ pɨcheqa]
u'vɛquch husband [stem: u'vɛquchi ~ o'vaqoche]
chavchɨv reindeer herder [stem: chavchɨva]

- the stem ends in a cluster of two consonants and the linking vowel "ɨ" is inserted between them:

qɛpɨl ball [stem: qɛpl ~ qapl]
tɨtɨl door, entrance [stem: tɨtl]
liŋɨl bilberry [stem: linl ~ lenl]
chottagɨn hallway, antechamber [stem: chottagn]
mimɨl water [stem: miml ~ mɛml]
rɨtɨn tooth, horn [stem: rɨnn]
levɨt head [stem: levt ~ lävt]

- the stem ends in a cluster of two consonants and the final consonant of the cluster is dropped:

avɛɛn pasture, grazing-ground [stem: avɛɛnv]
ajpɨn dam [stem: ajpɨnv]
ŋɨton exit [stem: ŋɨtonv]
agtatvan yard [stem: agtatvanv]
ŋɛnjan the young, young people [stem: ŋɛnjanv]
ɨnpɨjan the old, old people [stem: ɨnpɨjanv]

- the stem ends in vowel that is preceded by a cluster of two consonants, the final vowel is dropped and the linking vowel "ɨ" is inserted between the consonants of the cluster:

cheŋɨl box [stem: chenle ~ chanlä]
vivɨr board used for working skins [stem: vivri ~ vɛvrɛ]
viŋɨr hoe for digging roots [stem: vinri ~ vɛnrɛ]
qujɨm bay, gulf [stem: qujmɛ ~ qojma]
imɨt load, burden [stem: imti ~ ɛmtɛ]
ɛrɨm boss, head [stem: ɛrmɛ ~ arma]
ɛkɨk son [stem: ɛkkɛ ~ akka]

- the greater part of the stem is deformed and/or some of the final sounds are dropped:

gattɛ axe, instrument for trimming wood [stem: gatga]
macho chest, breast [stem: machvɛ]
ajo brain [stem: ajva]
gatle duck, large bird [stem: galga]
ɨtlä mother stem: [stem: ɨtļa]
vɛtlɨ raven [stem: vɛlv ~ valv]
ɨtlüvɛ grandson [stem: ɨtlüvjo]
ɨntɛ daughter-in-law [stem: ɨntɨjo]
chakɨgɛt [stem: chakɛtt]

two tendencies:
-> deletion of a final vowel
-> deletion of a final consonant cluster (two adjacent consonants)