Chechen Noun Case
Cases and their functions
Case endings
Declension classes
Cases and their functions. Chechen nouns have eight
basic cases with the following functions:
| Nominative |
Subject of intransitive verb, direct object of transitive
verb. Citation form, predicate nominal. |
| Genitive |
Possession; adnominal |
| Dative |
Indirect object; object of postposition |
| Ergative |
Subject of transitive verb |
| Allative |
Indirect object; other oblique objects |
| Instrumental |
Instrument, means, accompaniment |
| Lative |
Oblique objects |
| Comparison |
Standard of comparison |
Case endings. The Chechen cases have the endings
shown below. Endings separated by a comma are more or less
automatic alternants; a semicolon separates lexically determined
differences of declension; a slash separates stylistic variants.
|
Singular |
Plural |
| Nominative |
(no ending) |
-ash; -ii, -i |
| Genitive |
-n * |
-iin, -in * |
| Dative |
-na |
-ash-na |
| Ergative |
-uo; -s |
-ash-a |
| Allative |
-ie; -ga |
-ash-ka |
| Instrumental |
-ca |
-ash-ca |
| Lative |
-x |
-iax; -ix |
| Comparison |
-l |
-ial; -il |
Where the stem ends in a consonant and the ending begins
with a consonant, a buffer vowel -a- is inserted
(e.g. kuotam 'chicken' plus lative -x: kuotam-ax).
Whether the buffer vowel is inserted or not is an automatic
and purely phonological matter.
The ergative singular allomorphs are distributed as follows.
-uo is productive in normative usage and is added
to any consonant-final stem. -aa is a conservative
normative ending in declensions 5 and 6 (for declension
numbers see below), often replaced even in normative usage
by -uo. -z in normative usage is found only
on a handful of kin terms and other nouns referring to humans;
in contemporary colloquial usage it is productive, used
especially on vowel-final nouns and animate nouns.
Nouns fall into ten different declension classes depending
on whether they together with case endings they take ablaut
(change of the stem vowel in some or all oblique cases and/or
in the plura) or an extension or pre-case suffix
in the oblique cases and/or the plural. Some nouns have
both ablaut and extension. The changes made in the singular
oblique stem are largely independent of those made in the
plural stem, so the ten declension classes are based only
on the singular.
Declension classes. The table below shows these numbered
declension classes. There are gaps in numbering because
the same numbered system is being used here and for Ingush,
which has more declension classes.
1. No ablaut, no extension. Endings are added directly
to the stem (often with a buffer vowel -a- when a
consonant-initial ending is added to a consonant-final stem,
and regularly with a buffer -n- when the vowel-initial
ergative is added to a vowel-final stem):
| |
hen |
fly |
eagle |
turf |
bear |
| Nom |
kuotam |
moza |
aerzuu |
bai |
cha |
| Gen |
kuotaman |
mozan |
aerzuun |
bain |
chan |
| Dat |
kuotamna |
mozana |
aerzuuna |
baina |
chana |
| Erg |
kuotamuo |
mozuo |
aerzuunuo |
bainuo |
chanuo |
| All |
kuotamie |
mozie |
aerzuuga |
baiga |
chanie |
| Ins |
kuotamca |
mozaca |
aerzuuca |
baica |
chaca |
| Lat |
kuotamax |
mozax |
aerzux |
baix |
chax |
| Csn |
kuotamal |
mozal |
aerzul |
bail |
chal |
2. No extension. No true ablaut, but a stem vowel
that is short in the nominative is long in the oblique cases
where it is in an open syllable. The unique noun beepag
'bread' undergoes syncope of its second syllable -ag
in the oblique cases, which closes the first syllable and
shortens its vowel. It is put in this declension class though
the fit is not ideal.
|
window |
wall |
bread |
| Nom |
kor |
pian |
beepag (often [beepk] ) |
| Gen |
kuoran |
pienan |
baepkan |
| Dat |
kuorana |
pianna |
baepkana |
| Erg |
kuoruo |
pienuo |
baepkuo |
| All |
kuorie |
pienie |
baepkie |
| Ins |
kuoraca |
pienaca |
baepkaca |
| Lat |
kuorax |
pienax |
baepkax |
| Csn |
kuoral |
pienal |
baepkal |
3. Ablaut but no extension. Historically, ablaut
has two sources: ancient Nakh-Daghestanian alternations
and more recent alternations that arose when the stem vowel
took on the height, frontness, or rounding of the vowel
of the ending (which subsequently changed to -a-,
obscuring the conditioning environment). Synchronically,
these are all vowel alternations and they are grouped together
here without regard to the antiquity of the alternation.
|
knife |
grass |
wild boar |
trunk |
shrub |
| Nom |
urs |
buc |
nal |
ghad |
koll |
| Gen |
yrsan |
becan |
nelan |
ghodan |
kullan |
| Dat |
yrsana |
becana |
nelana |
ghodana |
kullana |
| Erg |
yrsuo |
becuo |
neluo |
ghoduo |
kulluo |
| All |
yrsie |
becie |
nelie |
ghodie |
kullie |
| Ins |
yrsca |
becaca |
nelca |
ghodaca |
kullaca |
| Lat |
yrsax |
becax |
nelax |
ghodax |
kullax |
| Csn |
yrsal |
becal |
nelal |
ghodal |
kullal |
| |
light |
deer |
army |
| Nom |
sa |
sai |
bwo |
| Gen |
sin |
seen |
bwan |
| Dat |
sina |
seena |
bwana |
| Erg |
sinuo |
seenuo |
bwanuo |
| All |
sinie |
seega |
bwanie |
| Ins |
sica |
seeca |
bwaca |
| Lat |
six |
seex |
bwax |
| Csn |
sil |
seel |
bwal |
Some consonant-final nouns combine ablaut with lengthening
of the vowel in the oblique cases:
|
lion |
hole |
lake |
| Nom |
lom |
or |
waam |
| Gen |
loeman |
uuran |
wooman |
| Dat |
loemana |
uurana |
woomana |
| Erg |
loemuo |
uuruo |
woomuo |
| All |
loemie |
uurie |
woomie |
| Ins |
loemaca |
uuraca |
woomaca |
| Lat |
loemax |
uurax |
woomax |
| Csn |
loemal |
uural |
woomal |
Most nouns with ablaut have one vowel in the nominative
and another in all the oblique forms, but a few have the
changed vowel in only some of the oblique cases, or two
different vowels in different oblique cases.
|
person |
wolf |
| Nom |
stag |
borz |
| Gen |
stegan |
berzan |
| Dat |
stagana |
berzana |
| Erg |
staguo |
barzuo |
| All |
stagie |
barzie |
| Ins |
stagaca |
barzaca |
| Lat |
|
barzax |
| Csn |
|
barzal |
7. –n- extension, no ablaut. All nouns with this extension
end in vowels.
|
bison |
steppe |
| Nom |
bula |
aarie |
| Gen |
bulan/bulanan |
aarienan |
| Dat |
bulanna |
aarianna |
| Erg |
bulanuo |
aarienuo |
| All |
bulanie |
aarienie |
| Ins |
bulanca |
aarianca |
| Lat |
bulanax |
aarienax |
| Csn |
bulanal |
aarienal |
8. –n extension and ablaut. Most nouns of this type
are monosyllables.
| |
aspen |
house |
roof |
board |
head of grain |
| Nom |
max |
c'a |
txou |
u |
ka |
| Gen |
moxan |
c'iinan |
txeunan |
ynan |
keena |
| Dat |
moxanna |
c'ianna |
txeunna |
ynna |
kanna |
| Erg |
moxanuo |
c'iinuo |
txeunuo |
ynuo |
keenuo |
| All |
moxanie |
c'iinie |
txeunie |
ynie |
keenie |
| Ins |
moxanca |
c'iinaca |
txeunaca |
ynca |
keenaca |
| Lat |
moxanax |
c'iinax |
txeunax |
ynax |
keenax |
| Csn |
moxanal |
c'iinal |
txeunal |
ynal |
keenal |
9. –chu- extension. This extension occurs on nouns
referring to humans (chiefly derived nouns with the suffixes
–xuo, -luo, and –chuo/chii) and on
nominalized participles (the second row below). The nominalized
participles, which can be calqued 'one who is older', 'that
which is true', etc., contain a suffixed form of the verb
'be', which agrees in gender. 'Elder' below is cited in
V gender; 'truth' is lexicalized in D gender.
| |
friend |
teacher |
worker |
Chechen |
| Nom |
dottagh |
hwiexarxuo |
belxaluo |
noxchi |
| Gen |
dottaghchyn |
hwiexarxuochyn |
belxaluochyn |
noxchichyn |
| Dat |
dottaghchunna |
hwiexarxuochunna |
belxaluochunna |
noxchichunna |
| Erg |
dottaghchuo |
hwiexarxuochuo |
belxaluochuo |
noxchichuo |
| All |
dottaghchynga |
hwiexarxuochynga |
belxaluochynga |
noxchichynga |
| Ins |
dottaghchynca |
hwiexarxuochynca |
belxaluochynca |
noxchichynca |
| Lat |
dottaghchux |
hwiexarxuochux |
belxaluochux |
noxchichux |
| Csn |
dottaghchul |
hwiexarxuochul |
belxaluochul |
noxchichul |
| |
elder |
truth |
| Nom |
voqqaxverg |
baq'derg |
| Gen |
voqqaxvolchyn |
baq'dolchyn |
| Dat |
voqqaxvolchunna |
baq'dolchunna |
| Erg |
voqqaxvolchuo |
baq'dolchuo |
| All |
voqqaxvolchynga |
baq'dolchynga |
| Ins |
voqqaxvolchynca |
baq'dolchynca |
| Lat |
voqqaxvolchux |
baq'dolchux |
| Csn |
voqqaxvolchul |
baq'dolchul |
10. –r- extension and no ablaut. 'Mane' below has vowel
shortening but no true ablaut.
|
saddlegirth |
rib |
mane |
fire |
| Nom |
buxka |
p'ianda |
qias |
c'e |
| Gen |
buxkara |
p'iandaran |
qiesaran |
c'eran |
| Dat |
buxkarna |
p'iandarna |
qiesarna |
c'erana |
| Erg |
buxkaruo |
p'iandaruo |
qiesaruo |
c'eruo |
| All |
buxkarie |
p'iandarie |
qiesarie |
c'erie |
| Ins |
buxkarca |
p'iandarca |
qiesarca |
c'erca |
| Lat |
buxkarx |
p'iandarx |
qiesarx |
c'erax |
| Csn |
buxkaral |
p'iandaral |
qiesaral |
c'eral |
11. –r extension and ablaut. 'name' below lacks ablaut
in the genitive.
| |
axe |
sand |
whistle |
bull, ox |
name |
| Nom |
dig |
ghum |
shok |
stu |
c'e |
| Gen |
dagaran |
ghamaran |
shakaran |
steran |
c'eran |
| Dat |
dagarna |
ghamarna |
shakarna |
sterna |
c'arna |
| Erg |
dagaruo |
ghamaruo |
shakaruo |
steruo |
c'aruo |
| All |
dagarie |
ghamarie |
shakarie |
sterie |
c'arie |
| Ins |
dagarca |
ghamarca |
shakarca |
sterca |
c'arca |
| Lat |
dagarx |
ghamarx |
shakarx |
sterax |
c'arax |
| Csn |
dagaral |
ghamaral |
shakaral |
steral |
c'aral |
12. –nar- extension. Historically this is probably
a combination of the –n- and –r- extensions.
There are only two examples, both with ablaut.
| |
chisel |
steam |
| Nom |
sto |
wa |
| Gen |
stanaran |
waenaran |
| Dat |
stanarna |
waenarna |
| Erg |
stanaruo |
waenaruo |
| All |
stanarie |
waenarie |
| Ins |
stanarca |
waenarca |
| Lat |
stanarx |
waenarax |
| Csn |
stanaral |
waenaral |
13. –i extension. The allative and ergative are somewhat
variable. Nouns with the suffix –alla, which forms
abstract nouns from adjectives, are in this declension.
One noun , 'brother', has ablaut.
| |
dog |
accordionist |
skill |
staircase |
chick |
brother |
| Nom |
zhwala |
pondarcha |
gouzalla |
laamii |
k'orni |
vasha |
| Gen |
zhwalin |
pondarchin |
gouzallin |
laamin |
k'ornin |
veshin |
| Dat |
zhwalina |
pondarchina |
gouzallina |
laamina |
kornina |
veshina |
| Erg |
zhwaluo |
pondarchas |
gouzalluo |
laaminuo |
k'ornis / k'orninuo |
vashas |
| All |
zhwalie / zhwaliga |
pondarchie/pondarchiga |
gouzallie |
laamiga |
k'orniga |
veshie/veshiga |
| Ins |
zhwalica |
pondarchica |
gouzallica |
laamica |
k'ornica |
veshica |
| Lat |
zhwaliax |
pondarchiax |
gouzalliax |
laamiax |
k'ornix |
veshiax |
| Csn |
zhwalial |
pondarchial |
gouzallial |
laamial |
k'ornil |
veshial |
14. –m extension. One noun takes this extension in
the singular. (It is more common in the plural, which
justifies setting it up as an extension.)
| |
ram |
| Nom |
ka |
| Gen |
koeman |
| Dat |
koemana |
| Erg |
koemuo |
| All |
koemie |
| Ins |
koemaca |
| Lat |
koemax |
| Csn |
koemal |
15. Initial j- lost in the oblique cases. Most of
these nouns are being regularized in everyday speech and
by now mostly decline in class 1. The nouns which decline
in this class in conservative usage are 'cow' (below) and
jish (eesharan) 'voice', jexk (axkaran)
'comb', jis (eesaran) 'hoarfrost', jol
(aalan) 'hay', and juq' (ouq'aran)
'ashes'.
|
cow |
| Nom |
jett |
| Gen |
aattan |
| Dat |
aattana |
| Erg |
aatuo |
| All |
aatie |
| Ins |
aataca |
| Lat |
aatax |
| Csn |
aatal |
