Dalmatian grammar, an outline

Okay...back to the important stuff!

Here's a short outline of Dalmatian grammar

THE ARTICLE

        INDEFINITE ARTICLE

        masculine sg:   un > un tren "a train"
        feminine sg:    una > una uzina "a factory"
        masculine pl:   nechi > nechi trenuri "some trains"
        feminine pl:    neche > neche uzine "some factories"

        DEFINITE ARTICLE

        masculine sg:   -(u)l > trenul "the train"
        feminine sg:    -ya > uzinaya "the factory"
        masculine pl:   -ei > trenuriei "the trains"
        feminine pl:    -yea > uzineyea "the factories"

THE NOUN

        GENDER

There are two genders, masculine and feminine.

Masculine nouns end in a consonant or in -u.
Feminine nouns end in -a, except 'matru', "mother", which is feminine.

        NUMBER

There are two numbers, singular and plural.

Masculine nouns form the plural with the suffix -(u)ri: tren > trenuri
Feminine nouns form the plural by changing final -a to -e: uzina > uzine

        CASE

        Dalmatian has lost all noun case markers and thus the function of
the noun in the sentence is shown by the position of the noun in the
sentence.

THE ADJECTIVE

Adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they
modify. Adjectives are placed after the noun in the singular and before
the noun in the plural.

In masculine singular the adjective will end in -u (buanu "good"), in
feminine singular in -a (buana), in masculine plural in -i (buani) and in
feminine plural in -e (buane).

un omu buanu "a good man" > nechi buani omuri "some good men"
una uzina granda "a big factory" > neche grande uzine "some big factories"

The definite article is generally attached only to the noun and not the
adjective, (poanul buanu "the good bread"). However, when the possessor of
the noun is indicated (poanul da nos "our bread"), then the enclitic
definite article is attached to both the noun and the adjective (poanul da
nos buanul).

        Comparison of Adjectives

positive (m ~ f):       grandu ~ granda
comparative:            plu grandu ~ plu granda
superlative:            naygrandu ~ naygranda

PRONOUNS

        PERSONAL PRONOUNS

                1psg    2       3psgM   3psgF   1ppl    2       3
Nomin.          go      tu      il      eya     nos     vos     eis
Oblique         mai     tai     loi     eya     nos     vos     eis

        REFLEXIVE PRONOUN

se

        POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS

Possessive pronouns in Dalmatian are archaic and not in use, though
occasionally they may occur in liturgical use.

Possession is shown by the construction da + pers.prn, e.g. baca da go (my
cow), matru da tu (your mother).

        INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS

who: che
what: ce

        RELATIVE PRONOUNS

someone: iche
something: ice

        NEGATIVE PRONOUNS

no-one: niche
nothing: nici un (msg), nici una (fsg), nici uni (mpl), nici une (fpl)

NUMERALS

        CARDINAL NUMERALS

1 unu/una; un/una
2 du/dua
3 trai
4 catru
5 chencia
6 sciache
7 sciapte
8 optu
9 nua
10 dziace

11 to 19 formed: unit + spra + dziace: 11 = unspradziace

20 to 90 formed: unit + dziaci: 20 = duadziaci

21 duadziaci e unu etc

100 (un) ciantu
200 du cianturi

1000 (una) mila
2000 dua mile

        ORDINAL NUMBERS

1st  primu/prima
2nd  secundu/secunda
3rd etc traiciu/traicia

Ordinal numbers from third and up are formed with the suffices -ciu/-cia.

Note, 21st (etc) is duadziaciciu e primu etc.

(Verbs and Adverbs will come in a next post)


-------ferko
Ferenc Gy. Valoczy

Suurt chugunikka peene ahjo suhe et toukka.

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