Morphology
Nouns
Class
Nouns each belong to one of three classes, named quite simply 1, 2, and 3. The class of a noun affects what endings it takes for number and case. Occasionally there will be a pair of nouns that are homophonous, but of different classes and meanings.
Number
Nouns inflect for three different numbers. Singular is the unmarked form. Plural drops the final vowel and takes an ending: -i for class 1, -a for class 2. General nouns are those which indicate the thing in general, or all instances of that thing. They are marked with the appropriate plural form and the prefix o-. Class 3 nouns use the general inflection to mean plural.
tolto - wheel
tolti - wheels
otolti - all wheels, wheels in generalkairzo - hand
kairza - hands
okairza - all hands, hands in generaltazeki - hammer
otazeki - hammers
Case
There are 9 cases in Siluila: nominative, accusative, reflexive, genitive, locative, instrumental, comitative, ablative, and allative. Which form a noun uses is dependant on the class it belongs to.
nominative - The noun that is doing the action.
accusative - The noun that is acted upon.
reflexive - A noun that acts upon itself.
genitive - Of the noun.
locative - At, near, or on the noun. Used with prepositions of location.
instrumental - By means of the noun, using the noun.
comitative - With the noun.
ablative - Away from, from, out of, off of the noun.
allative - To, towards, into, onto the noun.
class 1 | class 2 | class 3 | |
nom | - | - | - |
acc | -a | - | -a |
ref | -o, mutate | -o, mutate | -o |
gen | -no | -no, diphthong | -no, diphthong |
loc | ti- | ti- | ti- |
ins | - | -i | -i |
com | no- | no- | i- |
abl | -a, mutate | - | -a |
all | -ora | -ora | -ora |
tarna, tarna, sarno, tarno, titarna, tarna, notarna, sarna, tarnora
uaro, uaro, uaro, uarno, tiuaro, nouaro, uaro, uarora
luna, luna, luno, luano, tiluna, luni, iluna, luna, lunora
Verbs
Verbs may take up to five affixes, the most complex form being: object-mood-root-voice-tense-subject. If there are any suffixes, remember to remove the final vowel of the root.
Object
If the object prefix is followed by a vowel, use the first form. If it is followed by a consonant, use the second.
1st singular | en- / ena- |
2nd singular | ir- / ira- |
3rd singular | tea- |
1st plural | nun- / nuna- |
2nd plural | lea- |
3rd plural | ter- / tera- |
Mood
Verbs in the indicative or imperative mood take no special inflection. The optative mood, for expressing wishes or hopes, takes i-. The abilitative mood, meaning "to be able to X", takes cour- before a vowel or r, couri- before any other consonant.
Voice
Passive verbs take -la.
Tense
past | -ro |
present | - (use -a with 1st singular) |
future | -ru (use -ro with 1st singular) |
Subject
1st singular | - |
2nd singular | -na |
3rd singular | -i |
1st plural | -o |
2nd plural | -ni |
3rd plural | -di |
gera - to catch
gero - we catch
teagero - we catch it
teageruo - we will catch it
teagerelaruo - we will be caught by it
teaigerelaruo - may it be that we will be caught by it
Adjectives & Adverbs
A prefix may be added to an adjective/adverb to make it more intense, zi-.
do - big
zido - bigger
Pronouns
Pronouns have defined forms for four of the cases. For the rest, use the nominative form, transformed as a regular class-3 noun.
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 1st pl | 2nd pl | 3rd pl | indefinite | |
nom | eni | iri | ti | no | li | tiro | tu |
acc | ena | ira | tea | nuna | lea | tera | tura |
ref | eno | iro | seo | duno | leo | sero | suro |
gen | eino | iarno | teino | nuano | leino | teirno | tuarno |
ei - one of a group
i - what, which
ki - who
kuo - when
lai - where
oro - this
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© 2003 J. J. Fatula, III, all rights reserved.