A Linguistic Form of Historical and Speculative Fiction
Nominal Morphology
In Māryanyā, nominals include nouns as well as adjectives, both substantivized and when modifying nouns, since they agree in all the categories for which nouns are declined; these are case, number, and gender. Māryanyā retains all three categories of gender or noun class inherited from Proto-Indo-European: masculine, feminine, and neuter; as well as all three categories of number: singular, dual, and plural. It retains all the cases also inherited by Avestan and Sanskrit, except the vocative (the nominative is used): nominative, accusative, instrumental, dative, ablative, genitive, and locative. The uses of the cases will be given first, then the declension patterns. Most endings are similar to those of Sanskrit and can be explained by general sound changes, but *bʰ has been lenited to v exclusively in noun endings.
The nominative case is used for the subject of an intransitive sentence, the agent of a transitive sentence, and both the agent and patient of a copula clause (including null-copula declarative sentences). It is also used for addressing persons and things in place of the vocative which was lost.
The accusative case is used for the patient of transitive sentences, certain adverbial meanings, and for adjuncts promoted by applicative preverbs.
The instrumental case is used for something used to perform an action, often translated as “with” or “using”, as well as representing the demoted agent in a passive construction.
The dative indicates receivers of verbs of giving, etc. and can usually be translated “for” or “to”.
The ablative case indicates motion away from something. It is also used for comparative adjectives and partitive meaning. These latter uses are less common in related languages and may have been adopted due to influence from West Semitic languages, which use the preposition *min(a) for those purposes.
The genitive case indicates a possessor, or something associated with something else, which stands after what it modifies.
The locative case indicates where something is or takes place. It can be narrowed in meaning by an applicative preverb.
Declension Patterns
Aside from gender, nouns are declined in different ways depending on what vowel or consonant the stem ends in. These declension classes are by and large the same ones as in Sanskrit, although some nouns have changed declension class historically due to sound changes.
A-stems Also known as thematic nouns, this group is considered the “default” declension and is quite common. A noun that was originally a consonant-stem but was simplified by analogy to be an a-stem is said to be thematicized. Some loanwords that would otherwise end in a consonant are adapted by adding an -a, e.g., Ḫāras “the god Horus”.
Masc. A-stems
Sigular
Dual
Plural
Nominative
-as
-ā
-ās
Accusative
-am
-ā
-ān
Instrumental
-ā
-āvyām
-aiviš
Dative
-āya
-āvyām
-aivyas
Ablative
-āt
-āvyām
-aivyas
Genitive
-asya
-ayuš
-ānām
Locative
-ai
-ayuš
-aišu
Masculine A-stem endings
Neut. A-stems
Sigular
Dual
Plural
Nominative
-am
-ai
-ā
Accusative
-am
-ai
-ā
Instrumental
-ā
-āvyām
-aiviš
Dative
-āya
-āvyām
-aivyas
Ablative
-āt
-āvyām
-aivyas
Genitive
-asya
-ayuš
-ānām
Locative
-ai
-ayuš
-aišu
Neuter A-stem endings
Fem. A-stems
Sigular
Dual
Plural
Nominative
-ā
-ai
-ās
Accusative
-ām
-ai
-ās
Instrumental
-āyā
-āvyām
-āviš
Dative
-āyai
-āvyām
-āvyas
Ablative
-āyās
-āvyām
-āvyas
Genitive
-āyās
-ayuš
-ānām
Locative
-āyām
-ayuš
-āšu
Feminine A-stem endings
I-stems These include native stems ending in a short -i as well as Hurrian loanwords such as avari “agricultural field”.
Masc I-stems
Sigular
Dual
Plural
Nominative
-iš
-ī
-ayas
Accusative
-im
-ī
-īn
Instrumental
-inā
-ivyām
-iviš
Dative
-ayai
-ivyām
-ivyas
Ablative
-aiš
-ivyām
-ivyas
Genitive
-aiš
-yuš
-īnām
Locative
-au
-yuš
-išu
Masculine I-stem endings
Neut. I-stems
Sigular
Dual
Plural
Nominative
-i
-inī
-inī
Accusative
-i
-inī
-inī
Instrumental
-inā
-ivyām
-iviš
Dative
-inai
-ivyām
-ivyas
Ablative
-inas
-ivyām
-ivyas
Genitive
-inas
-inuš
-īnām
Locative
-ini
-inuš
-išu
Neuter I-stem endings
Fem. I-stems
Sigular
Dual
Plural
Nominative
-iš
-ī
-ayas
Accusative
-im
-ī
-īš
Instrumental
-yā
-ivyām
-iviš
Dative
-yai
-ivyām
-ivyas
Ablative
-yās
-ivyām
-ivyas
Genitive
-yās
-yuš
-īnām
Locative
-yām
-yuš
-išu
Feminine I-stem endings
U-Stems This is one of the largest groups. It includes inherited stems originally ending in *-u, as well as thematics originally ending in *-wa. When *-wa- was simplified to -u-, these were modified by analogy to decline like the original u-stems. Many loanwords from Akkadian and other Semitic languages are also u-stems, adapted from the default nominative case -u(m), e.g., jikkurathuš “ziggurat” (< Akkadian ziqquratu), kimpuduš “hedgehog” (< West Semitic *qVnpuḏ-).
Masc. U-stems
Sigular
Dual
Plural
Nominative
-uš
-ū
-auš
Accusative
-um
-ū
-ūn
Instrumental
-unā
-uvyām
-uviš
Dative
-avai
-uvyām
-uvyas
Ablative
-auš
-uvyām
-uvyas
Genitive
-auš
-vuš
-ūnām
Locative
-au
-vuš
-ušu
Masculine U-stem endings
Neut. U-stems
Sigular
Dual
Plural
Nominative
-u
-unī
-unī
Accusative
-u
-unī
-unī
Instrumental
-unā
-uvyām
-uviš
Dative
-unai
-uvyām
-uvyas
Ablative
-unas
-uvyām
-uvyas
Genitive
-unas
-unuš
-ūnām
Locative
-uni
-unuš
-išu
Neuter U-stem endings
Fem. U-stems
Sigular
Dual
Plural
Nominative
-uš
-ū
-auš
Accusative
-um
-ū
-ūn
Instrumental
-vā
-uvyām
-uviš
Dative
-vai
-uvyām
-uvyas
Ablative
-vās
-uvyām
-uvyas
Genitive
-vās
-vuš
-ūnām
Locative
-vām
-vuš
-ušu
Feminine U-stem endings
Ū- and Ī-stems These long-vowel stems are only feminine. Some are deverbal forms, others are regular nouns. Feminine forms of u-stem adjectives sometimes become ī-stems ending in -vī. Most ū- and ī-stems are native, but there are a few Egyptian loanwords in this declension, such as kū “life-force”.
Long Ī-stems
Sigular
Dual
Plural
Nominative
-ī
-yā
-yas
Accusative
-īm
-yā
-īš
Instrumental
-yā
-īvyām
-īviš
Dative
-yai
-īvyām
-īvyas
Ablative
-yās
-īvyām
-īvyas
Genitive
-yās
-yuš
-īnām
Locative
-yām
-yuš
-īšu
Feminine Ī-stem endings
Long Ū-stems
Sigular
Dual
Plural
Nominative
-ūš
-vā
-vas
Accusative
-ūm
-vā
-ūš
Instrumental
-vā
-ūvyām
-ūviš
Dative
-vai
-ūvyām
-ūvyas
Ablative
-vās
-ūvyām
-ūvyas
Genitive
-vās
-vuš
-ūnām
Locative
-vām
-vuš
-ūšu
Feminine Ū-stem endings
R-stems The first of the consonant stems, these are almost exclusively native words that one ended in *-r̥ or *-ēr in the nominative, mostly nomina agentis and words for family members. The neuter r-stem is identical to the neuter n-stem (see below) except in the singular nominative and accusative.
Masc. R-stems
Sigular
Dual
Plural
Nominative
-ā
-arā
-aras
Accusative
-aram
-arā
-aran
Instrumental
-rā
-arvyām
-arviš
Dative
-rai
-arvyām
-arvyas
Ablative
-ras
-arvyām
-arvyas
Genitive
-ras
-ruš
-arnām
Locative
-ari
-ruš
-aršu
Masculine R-stem endings
Neut. R-stems
Sigular
Dual
Plural
Nominative
-ar
-(a)nī
-anī
Accusative
-ar
-(a)nī
-anī
Instrumental
-(a)nā
-avyām
-aviš
Dative
-(a)nai
-avyām
-avyas
Ablative
-(a)nas
-avyām
-avyas
Genitive
-(a)nas
-(a)nuš
-(a)nām
Locative
-(a)ni
-(a)nuš
-asu
Neuter R-stem endings
Fem. R-stems
Sigular
Dual
Plural
Nominative
-ā
-ārā
-āras
Accusative
-āram
-ārā
-arš
Instrumental
-ārā
-arvyām
-arviš
Dative
-ārai
-arvyām
-arvyas
Ablative
-āras
-arvyām
-arvyas
Genitive
-āras
-aruš
-arnām
Locative
-ārām
-aruš
-aršu
Feminine R-stem endings
N-stems These are all native words, most originally ending in *-n̥ or *-ēn in the nominative. Many neuter n-stems are deverbals in the suffix -ma. There are no feminine n-stems. A’s in parentheses in these tables are only added when the stem ends in a consonant cluster or geminate consonant, e.g. parašuš taccanas “woodcutter’s ax”.
Masc. N-stems
Sigular
Dual
Plural
Nominative
-ā
-ānā
-ānas
Accusative
-anam
-ānā
-anaš
Instrumental
-(a)nā
-avyām
-aviš
Dative
-(a)nai
-avyām
-avyas
Ablative
-(a)nas
-avyām
-avyas
Genitive
-(a)nas
-(a)nuš
-(a)nām
Locative
-(a)ni
-(a)nuš
-asu
Masculine N-stem endings
Neut. N-stems
Sigular
Dual
Plural
Nominative
-a
-(a)nī
-āni
Accusative
-a
-(a)nī
-āni
Instrumental
-(a)nā
-avyām
-aviš
Dative
-(a)nai
-avyām
-avyas
Ablative
-(a)nas
-avyām
-avyas
Genitive
-(a)nas
-(a)nuš
-(a)nām
Locative
-(a)ni
-(a)nuš
-asu
Neuter N-stem endings
Among, or similar to, the n-stems are the “possessive adjectives”, continuing the Proto-Indo-European derivational stem *-went– which forms adjectives meaning “possessing” or “rich in” something. Masculine and neuter forms have their own declension, while feminine forms are ī-stems in -utī.
Masc. poss. adj.
Sigular
Dual
Plural
Nominative
-vān
-untā
-untas
Accusative
-untam
-untā
-untas
Instrumental
-utā
-udvyām
-udviš
Dative
-utai
-udvyām
-udvyas
Ablative
-utas
-udvyām
-udvyas
Genitive
-utas
-utuš
-utām
Locative
-uti
-utuš
-ucu
Masculine possessive adjective endings
Neut. poss. adj.
Sigular
Dual
Plural
Nominative
-ut
-utī
-unti
Accusative
-ut
-utī
-unti
Instrumental
-utā
-udvyām
-udviš
Dative
-utai
-udvyām
-udvyas
Ablative
-utas
-udvyām
-udvyas
Genitive
-utas
-utuš
-utām
Locative
-uti
-utuš
-asu
Neuter possessive adjective endings
S-stems These are all native neuter nouns, equivalent to the Sanskrit as-stem.
Neut. S-stems
Sigular
Dual
Plural
Nominative
-as
-asī
-ānsi
Accusative
-as
-asī
-ānsi
Instrumental
-asā
-uvyām
-uviš
Dative
-asai
-uvyām
-uvyas
Ablative
-asas
-uvyām
-uvyas
Genitive
-asas
-asuš
-asām
Locative
-asi
-asuš
-asu
Neuter S-stem endings
Monosyllabic au-stems This is a very rare declension, including the noun gauš “cow, cattle”, *gʷṓws in PIE, as well as nouns that ended in *-éwos in PIE and decline like gauš by analogy. All monosyllabic au-stems are declined the same regardless of grammatical gender.
Monosyll. Au-stems
Sigular
Dual
Plural
Nominative
-auš
-āvā
-auš
Accusative
-ām
-āvā
-auš
Instrumental
-avā
-uvyām
-uviš
Dative
-āvi
-uvyām
-uvyas
Ablative
-auš
-uvyām
-uvyas
Genitive
-auš
-avuš
-avā
Locative
-avi
-avuš
-ušu
Monosyllabic Au-stem endings
Other athematic consonant-stems These include nouns of all grammatical genders with stems ending in -k as well as a couple of irregular nouns, whose declensions will be given in full. The former group is mostly native words, one notable exception being Uruk, the city home to Gilgamesh in the Epic of Gilgamesh.