Introduction to Rhaetian - Orthography and Pronunciation - Nouns - Adjectives and Adverbs - Pronouns - Numerals - Verbs - Prepositions and Conjunctions - Syntax - Wordlist Rhaetian-English - Date and Time - Texts in Rhaetian - Mini-Phrasebook for Travellers - Grand Master Plan

Nouns

Introduction

Nouns come in three genders (χηνε, singular χηνερ): masculine (αρσενεγεν), feminine (τηλοιγεν), and neuter (αυθθεδερεν).

Nouns decline for three numbers (αιρετμοι, singular αρετμες) and five cases (sg./pl. φτωισερ). The numbers are nominative (αναμαστεγε), genitive (χηνεγε), dative (τθατεγε), accusative (αϊταττεγε), and vocative (χλητεγε). The numbers are singular (έννεγες), dual (τθυιγες), and plural (φλητυινδεγες).

Of the cases, the vocative is the least distinctive, being often the same as the nominative; of the numbers, the dual is the least distinctive, having nominative, accusative, and vocative the same, as well as having genitive and dative the same.

There are three main declensions: the first (historical "a" declension), the second (historical "o" declension), and the third (historical consonantal declension).

First declension

Nouns in this declension are feminine nouns in -ε or -ο as well as some masculine nouns in -ερ, -ες, -ορ, or -ος. Masculine first declension nouns have distinctive endings (compared to feminine first declension nouns) only in the nominative and genitive singular.

The principal parts of a first declension noun are the singular nominative, genitive, and dative, since the feminine genitive and the masculine nominative can end in either -ρ or -ς, and the dative (and, for the masculine, the genitive) may have a different vowel in the penult than in the other cases of the singular. Also, a feminine nominative singular in -ε may correspond to genitive/dative/accusative/vocative of -ερ/-ες -ε -εν -ε (the more common case) or -ορ/-ος -ο -ον -ο. Finally, a stem-final consonant may appear as sigma or rho in different cases: an -σ- or -σσ- will appear as -ρ- or -ρρ-, respectively, in the genitive plural (e.g. μωσε, gen.pl. μωρον), and conversely, an -ρ- or -ρρ- may (depending on the etymology) appear as -σ- or -σσ-, respectively, in the genitive and dative singular; the entire dual; and the dative, accusative, and vocative plural (see the paradigmatic ταλαρρε for an example). Note that while the shift from sigma to rho is predictable, the converse is not; however, if a rho does shift to sigma, it will do so at least in the genitive and dative singular, so this phenomenon will appear in the principal parts of the noun. Similar pairs are δ <-> τ (e.g. the paradigmatic φαληδερ, gen.pl. φαλητον).

The final letter of the feminine genitive singular/masculine nominative singular will also be present in the dative and accusative plural, and the vowel of the dative singular will also appear in the genitive and dative dual as well as the dative plural. The vowel of the masculine genitive singular may be unique (this case occurs only for υ and αυ, which will be ω in case forms such as nominative singular and υι case forms such as dative singular).

Second declension

Nouns in this declension are masculine and feminine nouns in -ερ or -ες as well as neuter nouns in -εν. (Masculine and feminine second-declension nouns decline identically.)

The principal parts of a second declension noun are the nominative and genitive singular and the dative plural, since all three forms may have a different vowel.

The nominative vowel will also be in the accusative singular (and neuter vocative singular); the nominative, accusative, and vocative dual; the genitive plural; and the neuter nominative, accusative, and vocative plural. The genitive vowel will also be in the masculine and feminine vocative singular as well as the masculine and feminine nominative, accusative, and vocative plural. The dative vowel will also be in the dative dual and plural as well as the genitive dual.

Here, too, the masculine and feminine nominative singular may end in either of -ερ or -ες; the same final consonant will also be in the dative and accusative plural. The final consonant of the neuter dative plural similarly varies; since it cannot be derived from any singular form, the dative plural is one of the principal parts of a second-declension neuter noun. Using the dative plural, rather than the dative singular, also differentiates in the dictionary between masculine first-declension and second-declension nouns in -ερ/-ες: first-declension nouns will have a third principal part ending in -ε or possibly -ο (which is also the second-declension dative singular ending), while second-declension nouns will have a third principal part ending -οιρ/-οις.

Third declension

(To be completed.)

(As a first approximation, the endings are -/-ς -ες -ε -ε - / -ε -οιν -οιν -ε -ε / -ερ/-ες -ον -ρε/-σε -ερ/-ες for masculine and feminine nouns and - -ερ/-ες -ε - - / -ε -οιν -οιν -ε -ε / -ε -ον -ρε/-σε -ε -ε for neuter ones. With probably numerous special cases and various assimilation processes.)

Irregular nouns

(To be completed.)

Introduction to Rhaetian - Orthography and Pronunciation - Nouns - Adjectives and Adverbs - Pronouns - Numerals - Verbs - Prepositions and Conjunctions - Syntax - Wordlist Rhaetian-English - Date and Time - Texts in Rhaetian - Mini-Phrasebook for Travellers - Grand Master Plan

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