Epiq Noun Cases

(1) Nominative:

Summary: The nominative case is used for the subjects of class 1, class 2 verbs, and class 4 verbs, as well as for the direct objects of class 3 verbs. The nominative case is also used to form a stem to which a possessive suffix can be added.

1. The nominative case is used to mark the subject of a class 1 verb. Here's an example: Ismi pwanił ukânokofa, "The penguin hid from the polar bear" (where "polar bear" is in the genitive case [this is specified lexically by the verb kofa, "to hide"]).


2. The nominative case is used to mark the subject of a class 2 verb. Here's an example: Pwani ismyâ kânofuli, "The polar bear hunted the penguin" (where "penguin", the definite direct object, is in the accusative case).


3. The nominative case is used to mark the subject of a class 4 verb. Here's an example: Kâši kitu "Tâfitâs" kânokwaló, "The mother named her son 'David'" (where "son", the direct object, is in the instrumental case, and the name "David", the theme or complement of the naming action, is in the adverbial case).


4. The nominative case is used to mark the direct object of a class 3 verb. Here's an example: Ismi pwani kânomâsâ, "The penguin saw the polar bear" (where "the penguin", the subject, is in the dative case).


5. In order to add a pronominal possessive suffix to a noun, that noun is put into the nominative case (either singular, dual or plural, depending on the number of the possession in question). Here're three examples:
   1. Ismima, "My penguin" (ismi, nominative singular, plus first person singular possessive suffix -ma).
   2. Pwanÿk, "Your two polar bears" (pwanÿ, nominative dual, plus second person singular possessive suffix -k).
   3. Kičün, "His/her sons (three or more)" (kičü, nominative plural, plus third person singular possessive suffix -n).


6. The nominative case is used to mark the promoted patient of a passive verb, which becomes the subject of the sentence. Here's an example: Ista âwqoł likânoxâni, "The (pitted) fruit was eaten by the walrus" (where "the walrus", the agent of the setence, is in the genitive case).

(2) Accusative:

Summary:The accusative case is used for the definite direct objects of class 2 verbs and the beneficiaries of class 3 verbs. The accusative singular is also used to form a stem to which nominal specifiers may be added. A noun is also put into the accusative case if it's the object of a postposition in the allative mode.

1. The accusative case is used to mark the definite direct object of a class 2 verb (not an indefinite one). Here's an example: Qałpi qasčâ kânoqeli, "The dog cooked the bone" (where "the dog", the subject of the sentence, is in the nominative case. Notice that it's "the bone", not "a bone"). [Try saying that one three hundred and ninety-seven times fast.]


2. The accusative case is used to mark the beneficiary or causer (results may vary) of a class 3 verb. Here're a few examples:
   1. Ismi pwanyâ kânofusâ, "The penguin cried for the polar bear" (where "penguin", the subject of the sentence, is in the dative case).
   2. Antü lâstâfâsâ kâsomâsâ, "The boy saw for the blind man (or was his seeing-eye boy, so to speak)" (where "boy", the subject, is in the dative case).
   3. Antü lâstâfâs mânyâ tâsomânwâ, "The boy knows the blind man because of his older sister (i.e., the boy was introduced to the blind man by his older sister)" (where "boy", the subject, is in the dative case, and "blind man", the object, is in the nominative case).
   
   
3. Epiq has, rather than adjectives, a series of nominal specifiers which are attached directly to the noun. The form of the noun that the specifier is attached to, though, is the accusative singular. Here are some examples:
   1. Ismyâsuloqo, "Big penguin" (ismyâ, accusative singular, plus the specifier for "large" -suloqo).
   2. Tâssânüsa, "Green grass" (tâssâ, accusative singular, plus the specifier for "green" -nüsa).
   3. Ampakâmenya, "Dirty rock" (ampakâ, accusative singular, plus the specifier for "dirty" -menya).
   4. Âwqwâqâmwâ, "Old walrus" (âwqwâ, accusative singular, plus the specifier for "large" -qâmwâ).
   5. Muwwâxasa, "Dark smoke" (muwwâ, accusative singular, plus the specifier for "dark-colored" -xasa).


4. The accusative case is used to mark the object of a postposition in the allative mode. (For more info on postpositional modes, go here.) Here's an example: Xali ilaxânyawwâ ma yânukânošifa, "The girl entered (i.e., went into) the dining room" (where "girl", the subject of the sentence, is in the nominative case).

(3) Dative:

Summary: The dative case is used for the beneficiaries of class 1 and class 4 verbs, for the indirect objects or beneficiaries of class 2 verbs, and for the subjects of class 3 verbs. It's also used to mark the object of a postposition in the nontranslative mode. The dative case is also used to mark the object of certain non-motive postpositions. Finally, the dative case is used to mark some added or demoted arguments.

1. The dative case is used to mark the beneficiary of a class 1 verb. Here's an example: Xali lâstâfâsây kânošifa, "The girl went for the blind man (presumably somewhere to do something for him)" (where "girl", the subject of the sentence, is in the nominative case).


2. The dative case is used to mark the beneficiary of a class 4 verb. Here's an example: Kâši kitu "Tâfitâs" lâstâfâsây kânokwaló, "The mother named her son 'David' for/on behalf of the blind man" (where "mother", the subject, is in the nominative case, "son", the direct object, is in the instrumental case, and the name "David", the theme or complement of the naming action, is in the adverbial case).


3. The dative case is used to mark both the beneficiary and the indirect object of a class 2 verb. Here's an example that showcases both usages: Antu xali âšâ kâši kânosampi, "The boy gave a flower to the girl for his/her mother" (where "the boy", the subject, is in the nominative case, and "the flower", the direct object, is in the accusative case). [Note: In this sentence, it's technically ambiguous whether the flower is from the boy's mother to the girl, or for the girl's mother from the boy. Who gets the flower, however, is not ambiguous: The recipient of an action will always appear in between the subject and direct object. The phrase "for his/her mother" is extra information, and comes right before the verb, like an adverb or postpositional phrase.]


4. The dative case is used to mark the subject of a class 3 verb. Here's an example: Makwé kânofusâ, "The fish cried".


5. The dative case is used to mark the object of a postposition in the nontranslative mode. (For more info on postpositional modes, go here.) Here's an example: Xali ilaxânyawwé ma ukâsopaqa, "The girl stood/was standing in the dining room" (where "girl", the subject of the sentence, is in the nominative case).


6. The dative case is used to mark the object of certain postpositions that don't have anything to do with motion. Here's an example: Xali antü ax ukânolaxânya, "The girl ate/was eating with the boy" (where "girl", the subject of the sentence, is in the nominative case).


7. The dative case is used to mark the added patient argument of a class 1 verb. A patient argument is added whenever a verb is put into the causative mood, or when the causative prefix is used. Here are two examples:
   1. Pwani mükunyâsâla, "I made the polar bear die" (where the first person subject is marked on the verb).
   2. Pwani müsâkânyâsâla, "I killed the polar bear" (where the first person subject is marked on the verb).


8. The dative case is used to mark the demoted patient argument of class 2, class 3, and class 4 verbs. A patient argument is added whenever a verb is put into the causative mood, or when the causative prefix is used. Here are three examples:
   1. Pwanyâ ułtây mâkunyâšifi, "I made the polar bear move the house" (where "polar bear", the more immediate patient argument, is put into the accusative case, and where the first person subject is marked on the verb).
   2. Pwani keči âkunyâfumwâ, "I made the polar bear understand the caribou" (where "polar bear", the more immediate patient argument, is put into the nominative case, and where the first person subject is marked on the verb. Note: The caribou can't be the subject of this sentence, even though it's in the right case, because it follows the direct object. Despite the case marking, word order is very important).
   3. Pwanÿ keči mâwkunyâkwaló, "I made the polar bear name the caribou" (where "polar bear", the more immediate patient argument, is put into the instrumental case, and where the first person subject is marked on the verb).

(4) Instrumental:

Summary: The instrumental case is used for the direct objects of class 4 verbs. It's also used to mark the object of a postposition in the ablative mode. Otherwise, it's used to express the thing the verb is done with, so to speak: The instrument used to accomplish the action.

1. The instrumental case is used to mark the direct object of a class 4 verb. Here's an example: Kâši kitu "Tâfitâs" kânokwaló, "The mother named her son 'David'" (where "mother", the subject, is in the nominative case, and the name "David", the theme or complement of the naming action, is in the adverbial case).


2. The instrumental case is used to mark the object of a postposition in the ablative mode. (For more info on postpositional modes, go here.) Here's an example: Xali ilaxânyawwó ma finukânošifa, "The girl exited (i.e., went out of) the dining room" (where "girl", the subject of the sentence, is in the nominative case).


3. The instrumental case is used to mark the instrument with which an action is accomplished. Here's an exampe: Xali puwwâ usłiqo kânoxaši, "The girl cut the root with a knife" (where "girl", the subject, is in the nominative case, and "root", the direct object, is in the accusative case).

(5) Genitive:

Summary: The genitive case is used for the indefinite direct objects of class 2 verbs. It's also used in possessive constructions, per usual, and is also used to express a reintroduced agent in a passive construction. It's also used idiomatically to mark the arguments of certain verbs.

1. The genitive case is used to mark an indefinite direct object of a class 2 verb. It's also used to indicate that only part of something has been whatevered. Here're some examples:
   1. Xali nwâluł kânoxâni, "The girl ate an egg" (where "girl", the subject, is in the nominative case).
   2. Xali ilyał kânoqasqe, "The girl drank some water" (where "girl", the subject, is in the nominative case).
   3. Xali istał kânoxâni, "The girl ate a piece of (pitted) fruit" (where "girl", the subject, is in the nominative case).
   4. Xali tâwqasał kânoxâni, "The girl ate a piece of/some bread" (where "girl", the subject, is in the nominative case).
   
   
2. The genitive case is used to mark the possessor of a possessed noun. In epiq, a possessor always comes before the possessed item. Here's an example: Âwqoł ista, "The walrus's (pitted) fruit" (where "fruit" is in the nominative case. It could be in any case, though: It's just in the nominative for this example).


3. The genitive case is used to mark the reintroduced agent of a passive verb. Here's an example: Ista âwqoł likânoxâni, "The (pitted) fruit was eaten by the walrus" (where "the (pitted) fruit", the subject of the setence, is in the nominative case).


4. There are a few verbs which require the genitive case for one of their arguments. Here's an example: Âwqo kečił ukânokofa, "The walrus hid from the caribou" (where "walrus", the subject, is in the nominative case).

(6) Adverbial:

Summary: The adverbial case is used for the complements of class 4 verbs. It's also used in equative constructions, as a vocative, and to form some adverbs.

1. The adverbial case is used to mark the complement of a class 4 verb. Here's an example: Kâši kitu "Tâfitâs" kânokwaló, "The mother named her son 'David'" (where "mother", the subject, is in the nominative case, and "son", the direct object, is in the instrumental case).


2. The adverbial case is used in equative/similitive constructions. Here's an example: Sun antu fušâs utâšâlaxânya, "That boy is eating like an animal" (where "boy", the subject, is in the nominative case).


3. The adverbial case is used to form some adverbs, such as the temporal adverb kuqâs, "now" (from kuq, "this"), the manner adverb sâstâs, "fleet of foot" (from sâsta, "arctic fox"), and spatial adverb ułtâs, "home (e.g., come home)" (from ułtâ, "house").


4. The adverbial case is used when addressing someone directly (especially from far off). In this way, it serves as a kind of vocative case. Example: Čüfus!, "Older brother!"