1. Number

January 6th nouns are obligatorily marked for plurality with the plural suffix -ne /nə/, which is shortened to -n word-finally when following a vowel.

An exception to the obligatory marking are statements of general facts:

  • ì-mòa lò
    3SG-love boy
    'he/she loves boys'

  • ì-teteg uk
    3SG-grow tree
    'trees grow'

2. Case marking

January 6th nouns decline for three cases: the ergative, absolutive and accusative. Of these, the absolutive is unmarked, and the other two are marked with suffixes.

2.1. Ergative case

The basic ergative suffix is -a. When appended directly to a monosyllabic noun with a CV syllable structure, the allomorph -ʔa is used.

The ergative case is used to mark the agent of a transitive realis clause:

  • ì-use gagu-a miso
    3SG-eat buffalo-ERG soup
    'the buffalo eats the soup'

2.2. Absolutive case

The absolutive case is the unmarked form of the noun. It is used for the patient of a transitive realis clause, and the subject of an intransitive realis clause:

  • ì-mòa amo-a lò
    3SG-love girl-ERG boy.ABS
    'the girl loves the boy'

  • ì-teteg uk
    3SG-grow tree.ABS
    'the tree grows'

The absolutive case is also used for the subject of both transitive and intransitive irrealis clauses:

  • ì-u-mòa amo lò-si
    3SG-IRR-love girl.ABS boy-ACC
    'the girl will love the boy'

  • ì-u-teteg uk
    3SG-IRR-grow tree.ABS
    'the tree will grow'

2.3. Accusative case

The accusative suffix is -si [ɕi]. It marks the patient of a transitive irrealis clause:

  • o-u-sug amo-si
    1SG-IRR-hug girl-ACC
    'I will hug the girl'

3. Possession marking

Possession is marked with prefixes to the noun. This marking is obligatory for body parts and kinship terms.

Nouns can be marked for first, second or third person possession. Nouns that are obligatorily marked for possession take the third person prefix when the possessor is irrelevant.

When the possessor is animate and plural, the plural marker -ne is obligatorily appended to the stem, indicating not plurality of the noun but of the possessor. When the possessed noun is already marked for plurality, the marking is not made twice. Nouns with animate plural possessors are thus ambiguously singular or plural.

3.1. First person possession

The first person possession prefix is go-.

3.2. Second person possession

The basic second person possession prefix is gak-. The allomorph gat- is used on stems with an initial vowel. Cf. gakkug 'your forest', gatasi 'your head'. The -k- of gak- is elided before stems with initial /l w/.

3.3. Third person possession

The third person possession prefix is e- /ə/ on nouns with a vowel or /l w/ onset, and zero on nouns with any other initial consonant. The former prefix is regularly realized as an elongated vowel on vowel initial stems.