So, I’ve been fiddling around with a language again. This one is a derivative of Proto-Indo-European; I don’t have a name yet. It’s not a complete thing, just some musings; but here’s a bit about first declension nouns:
| MASCULINE | FEMININE | ||||
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | ||
| anûft (1e): dark of night | fōnâ (1e): grain | ||||
| Nominative | anūft | anûfte | fōnâ | fōnâya | |
| Vocative | anûft | anûfte | fonâ | fōnâya | |
| Accusative 1 | anûftun | anûftanš | fonân | fōnânš | |
| Comitative | anûfte | anûftuphi | fonâya | fōnâphi | |
| Accusative 2 | anêvdun | anêvdanš | fēnân | fēnânš | |
| Instrumental | anêvde | anêvduphi | fēnâya | fēnâphi | |
| Genitive | anêvdeh | anêvdon | fēnâh | fēnâyon | |
| Dative | anêvdei | anêvdumah | fēnâi | fēnâmah | |
| Locative | anêvdi | anêvdu | fēnâ | fēnâhu | |
| amūnš (1a): month | amūnâ (1a): cheek, thigh, young woman | ||||
| Nominative | amūnš | amūnše | amūnâ | amūnâya | |
| Vocative | amunš | amūnše | amunâ | amūnâya | |
| Accusative 1 | amunšun | amūnšanš | amunân | amūnânš | |
| Comitative | amunše | amūnšuphi | amunâya | amūnâphi | |
| Accusative 2 | amānšun | amānšanš | amānân | amānânš | |
| Instrumental | amānše | amānšuphi | amānâya | amānâphi | |
| Genitive | amānšeh | amānšon | amānâh | amānâyon | |
| Dative | amānšei | amānšumah | amānâi | amānâmah | |
| Locative | amānši | amānšu | amānâ | amānâhu | |
| tum (1e): house | tūmâ (1e): village, farm | ||||
| Nominative | tūm | tume | tūmâ | tūmâya | |
| Vocative | tum | tume | tumâ | tūmâya | |
| Accusative 1 | tumun | tumanš | tumân | tūmânš | |
| Comitative | tume | tumphi | tumâya | tūmâphi | |
| Accusative 2 | temun | temanš | tēmân | tēmânš | |
| Instrumental | teme | temphi | tēmâya | tēmâphi | |
| Genitive | temeh | temon | tēmâh | tēmâyon | |
| Dative | temei | temmah | tēmâi | tēmâmah | |
| Locative | temi | temu | tēmâ | tēmâhu | |
| irôk (1a): husband | irōgâ (1e): authority, orderliness, spirit of law | ||||
| Nominative | irōk | irôk | irōgâ | irōgâya | |
| Vocative | irôk | irôk | irogâ | irōgâya | |
| Accusative 1 | irôkun | irôkanš | irogân | irōgânš | |
| Comitative | irôke | irôkuphi | irogâya | irōgâphi | |
| Accusative 2 | irâgun | irâganš | irāgân | irāgânš | |
| Instrumental | irâge | irâguphi | irāgâya | irāgâphi | |
| Genitive | irâgeh | irâgon | irāgâh | irāgâyon | |
| Dative | irâgei | irâgumah | irāgâi | irāgâmah | |
| Locative | irâgi | irâgu | irāgâ | irāgâhu | |
| xors (1i): implement of torture | tōrvâ (1e): wood | ||||
| Nominative | xōrs | xorse | tōrvâ | tōrvâya | |
| Vocative | xors | xorse | torvâ | tōrvâya | |
| Accusative 1 | xorsun | xorsanš | torvân | tōrvânš | |
| Comitative | xorse | xorsuphi | torvâya | tōrvâphi | |
| Accusative 2 | xirzun | xorzanš | tērvân | tērvânš | |
| Instrumental | xirze | xirzuphi | tērvâya | tērvâphi | |
| Genitive | xirzeh | xirzon | tērvâh | tērvâyon | |
| Dative | xirzei | xirzumah | tērvâi | tērvâmah | |
| Locative | xirzi | xirzu | tērvâ | tērvâhu | |
The first declension is small but significant, containing many common words. All the first declension nouns feature alternations between two vowels – one used in the direct cases and one used in the oblique cases. In some cases, these alternations have been created through analogy, or recreated after sound-changes obscured the original alternation. Masculine first declensions ending with a stop also show a voicing alternation, in which the final stop or cluster is voiceless in direct cases but voiced in oblique cases – this alternation has spread by analogy from the final voicing in the nominative and vocative singulars. All first declensions – indeed, all nouns – show a vowel length alternation, with the nominative singular showing a long vowel and the vocative, first accusative and comitative singulars all showing short vowels. The remaining cases show either a long or a short vowel depending on the word – all first declension feminines show a long vowel, while most but not all first declension masculines show a short vowel.
The feminines of the first declension are often collectives or abstracts – but not always. The first declension is not normally productive, but the feminising suffix –vâ is an exception. This suffix has spread by analogy from the derivation of tōrvâ (‘wood’) from toru (‘tree’), and is now used to derive substances from objects, particularly when those substances are to be used in craft or construction. Further examples include šnōurvâ (‘sinew-matter’) from šnēur (‘a sinew’), and ōšīnvâ (‘ash-wood’) from ōšinu (‘ash-tree’). The feminine paradigm shows an interesting reconstruction in the nominative and vocative plurals, which are identical to the comitative singular, by analogy with the same identity in the masculines.
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Comments and corrections most welcome!
