diff --git a/content/eittlandic.org b/content/eittlandic.org index a86d583..58f2e34 100644 --- a/content/eittlandic.org +++ b/content/eittlandic.org @@ -1675,22 +1675,76 @@ irregularities. These words are marked as irregular in the dictionary. # - How many degrees of distance are there in the system of # demontsratives? # - Are there other distinctions beside distances? + When the noun of a nominal group is not a mass noun or a proper noun, -an article must accompany it, except for indefinite plural nouns. The -indefinite article is /einn/, the same term as /one/ in Eittlandic. It -partially agrees in gender, being /einn/ for strong masculine and -feminine nouns and /eitt/ for strong neutral and weak nouns. +an article must accompany it, except for indefinite plural nouns. -Definite articles are affixes to the noun and are inserted between the -noun itself and its declension if it has one. For instance, the -definite singular genitive of /vatn/ (/water/, strong neutral) is /vatnits/, -using /-it/ as the definite marker. Like the indefinite article, the -suffix agrees in gender with /-in/ as the suffix for strong masculine -and feminine words while /-it/ prefixes strong neutral and weak nouns. -Just like with noun endings, if the case marking is an /-r/ following an -/-in/, the latter will become an /-n/ as in /hundinn/ (/the dog/, sg.nom.m). +**** Indefinite Article +:PROPERTIES: +:CUSTOM_ID: Structural-Overview-Structure-of-a-Nominal-Group-Articles-and-Demonstratives-Indefinite-Article-w90dz6o0uij0 +:END: +The indefinite article is /einn/, the same term as /one/ in Eittlandic. It +agrees in declension with its noun, though it is to be noted its +declension is irregular, as seen in table [[tbl:declension-einn]]. +Similarly, other numerals have declensions as discussed in +[[#Structural-Preview-World-Classes-Modifiers-Numerals-4gvelau058j0]]. +#+name: tbl:declension-einn +| | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | +|------+-----------+----------+--------| +| Nom. | einn | ein | eit | +| Acc. | ein | ein | eit | +| Dat. | ein | einn | eits | +| Gen. | einn | ein | eit | -*** Possessives :noexport: +**** Definite articles +:PROPERTIES: +:CUSTOM_ID: Structural-Overview-Structure-of-a-Nominal-Group-Articles-and-Demonstratives-Definite-articles-jt0hlco0uij0 +:END: +As in other scandinavian languages, definite articles in Eittlandic +act as suffixes to the noun and fully replace its declension as it has +case marking itself. The full declension table of definite articles +can be found in the table [[tbl:definite-articles]]. As we can see, the +definite articles underwent an important regularization as well as +merging strong neuter and weak nouns together. +#+name: tbl:definite-articles +| / | | | | +| | | Strong Common | Strong Neuter and Weak Nouns | +|---+------------+---------------+------------------------------| +| | Sing. Nom. | -(i)nn | -(i)t | +| | Acc. | -(i)n | -(i)t | +| | Gen. | -(i)ns | -(i)ts | +| | Dat. | -(i)n | -(i)t | +| | Plur. Nom. | -(i)nn | -(i)tr | +| | Acc. | -(i)n | -(i)t | +| | Gen. | -(i)n | -(i)t | +| | Dat. | -(i)num | -(i)tum | + +The initial /i/ is only used when using the definite articles as a +suffix would cause a consonant cluster forbidden by Eittlandic +phonology, otherwise it is omitted. An example of the former case is +with /vatn/ (/water/) which becomes /vatnits/ when in its definite singular +genitive form, while /øy/ (/island/) becomes /øyns/ in the same form. Like +the indefinite article, the suffix agrees in gender, agreeing either +with strong masculine or feminine words (or as established before, +strong common) or with strong neuter and weak nouns. + +The use of definite articles with nouns is further discussed in +§[[#Structural-Overview-Structure-of-a-Nominal-Group-Definiteness-ubpcy4i0mgj0]]. + +*** Definiteness +:PROPERTIES: +:CUSTOM_ID: Structural-Overview-Structure-of-a-Nominal-Group-Definiteness-ubpcy4i0mgj0 +:END: +Definiteness in Eittlandic serves multiple purposes. Its most obvious +one is to distinguish between an indefinite and a definite entity, as +in English /a dog/ or /the dog/, respectively /einn hundr/ and /hundinn/, as +discussed in +§[[#Structural-Preview-Structure-of-a-Nominal-Group-Articles-and-Demonstratives-owb6umu058j0]]. + +However, definiteness is also necessary with suffixed possessives and +demonstrative. + +*** Possessives :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: Structural-Preview-Structure-of-a-Nominal-Group-Possessives-8xc6umu058j0 :END: @@ -1715,20 +1769,30 @@ Just like with noun endings, if the case marking is an /-r/ following an # - Do the classifiers occur with numerals? Adjectives? Verbs? # - What is their function in these contexts? Eittlandic inherited from Old Norse a gender system divided into three -genders: male, female, and neuter. Due to the presence of declensions -with strong nouns and adjectives, its pronouns, and to a certain -degree different articles, it can still be said Eittlandic is a -gendered language although it doesn’t hold much importance in its -grammar anymore. Since strong nouns aren’t productive anymore and weak -nouns lost all obvious gender differences, we can even consider gender -as not productive anymore in Eittlandic and bound to eventually -disappear. +genders: male, female, and neuter. Although the number of elements +marking it declined during its evolution, Eittlandic still marks +gender in its strong nouns, adjectives, pronouns, and to a certain +degree in its articles. However, as mentioned in +[[#Structural-Overview-Structure-of-a-Nominal-Group-Grammatical-Case-Case-Marking-c6jb9o11mfj0]], +case marking and by extensions gender marking is slowly disappearing +in Modern Eittlandic nouns and adjectives. + +Due to the presence of declensions with strong nouns and +adjectives, its pronouns, and to a certain degree different articles, +it can still be said Eittlandic is a gendered language although it +doesn’t hold much importance in its grammar anymore. Since strong +nouns aren’t productive anymore and weak nouns lost all obvious gender +differences, we can even consider gender as not productive anymore in +Eittlandic and bound to eventually disappear. In fact, the loss of +gender is even stronger in Standard Eittlandic due to the theoretical +absence of declensions in this dialect. In case a strong noun is used with a strong adjective, both will agree in number and gender. + Examples: - - + - hvítr hundr / white.m.sg.acc dog.m.sg.acc + - langir tungir / long.f.pl.acc tongues.f.pl.acc *** Diminution/Augmentation :noexport: :PROPERTIES: