Re: Adunaic case system

In a message dated 3/20/2005 3:01:01 PM Eastern Standard Time,
puchitao@GMAIL.COM writes:

>It would be interesting to see if there
>is any semantic distinction between nouns that take -un and those that
>lengthen the final vowel.  For example, if animates got -un and
>inanimates got ablaut, it could be from an animate/inanimate
>distinction in the clitic pronouns.)
Tokien has this to say "The Subjective: in Neuter nouns this is expressed by
a-fortification of the last vowel of the stem, in the case of strong nouns: as
_zadan_ with the S form _zada:n_; in weak nouns  the suffix -a is used.  In
Masculine nouns, strong or weak, the suffix -un is used; in Feminines the
suffix -in;  in Common nouns the suffix -an or -n.  In plurals it has the suffix -a
in neuters, and in all other nouns the suffix -im."

By "strong" nouns he means nouns for which "the cases and plural stems are
formed partly by alterations of the last vowel of the stem . . . partly by
suffixes;  in the Weak nouns the inflexions are entirely suffixal."

The strong/weak distinction of declension seems to depend on form rather than
meaning.  Tolkien says that the class of weak nouns consists of
"monosyllabic nouns; and disyllabic nouns with a long vowel or diphthong in the final
syllable."

Doug