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Articles and Determiners - Syntax, Usage and Exceptions
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Articles and Determiners - Syntax, Usage and Exceptions
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Articles

Articles - Syntax, Definiteness and Agreement


Every noun in Iru is preceeded by an article at all times. Sometimes, that article can be instead a determiner - and in some cases, a contraction of an article or determiner with a preposition or prepositional phrase. Articles designate the definiteness of the noun - there are definite and indefinite articles. Articles also agree on animacy and number with the noun they are specifying.


E ishum. || The book.
Yi ishumi. || The books.
Wo eshirlumoi. || A writer.
Woi eshirlumoyi. || Writers.

Below is a table with all the articles.

DefiniteIndefinite
SingularPluralSingularPlural
Commoneyiwewi
Human Non-Deferentialaaiwawai
Human Deferentialuuiwowoi


Articles - Case and Contractions


Other than the simple definiteness and agreement, there are some special markings that articles can take in some situations. Those situations are the genitive case, the locative case, the object construction of pronouns, the comparative form of adjectives and contractions with some conjunctions, when said conjunctions are being used to connect nouns together.

The genitive case connects the possessor and possessee by means of prefixing "d" to the article of the possessee. The locative case marks the locative by affixing "n" to the article of locative case noun. These affixing rules apply even to indefinite articles and other determiners. In case of both applying to the same article or determiner, the genitive takes precedent over the locative.

A menyarai de ishum. || The woman's book.
Rye nyar ne myuchei. || I am at the village.
Rye nyar ri de yaikeche. || I am at my house.

The object construction of personal pronouns is explored more in-depth in the article on pronouns. Personal pronouns in an object form are preceeded by an article, and that article is prefixed with "m".

A Ryitam ogai ma rye. || Ryita likes me.
A Ryitam diha ma nla e ishuhe. || Ryita gave you the book.

The comparative form of adjectives is formed through a declension of the adjective that connects the first noun to the second. The article of the second noun is thus prefixed with "t" to mark that connection and construction.

O gyomi yor kohoi te guo. || The man is bigger than the dog.
Wa nyami yar kohai tue guo. || A person is bigger than a dog.

Moreso, and finally, the conjunctions "u", "nmi" and "ka", when used to join multiple nouns together, merge with the article or determiner that follows them.

Rye al zudu e nyahe we hei. || I will bring the food and the water.
Rye nuh al zudu e nyahe nmye hei. || I won't bring the food nor the water.
Rye ogai we myurei uwe guohei. || I like cats and dogs.
Rye nuh ogai we myurei nmye guohei. || I don't like cats nor dogs.
Rye mai kawe nyahe kawe hei. || I want either food or water.
Rye mai kai myure kai guohe. || I want either the cat or the dog.

Determiners

Determiners - Demonstratives

Demonstrative determiners take the position of the article and anything that applies to articles, similarly, also applies to demonstrative determiners. Much like demonstrative pronouns, they have distances - proximal, medial and distal. They, like articles, agree in animacy and number with the noun they are specifying. Below is a table with all the demonstrative determiners.

SingularPlural
ProximalMedialDistalProximalMedialDistal
Commonereesehyurereieseihyuri
Human Non-Deferentialeraesahyuraeraiesaihyurai
Human Deferentialeroesohyuroeroiesoihyuroi

Below are a few examples of usage of demonstrative determiners.

Ere guo yer yone. || This dog is good.
Esei shai yeri komeyi. || Those trees are big.
Rye eyavai nyur myuchei. || I live in that village.
Ai kyimyi yari uhai tyuro gyoi. || The children are happier than that man


Determiners - Possessives

Possessive determiners indicate a relationship of possession between the determiner and the noun it's specifying. Due to their history and their closeness to nouns, they act in a very similar way to the genitive case of nouns - that meaning, the article of the noun they are specifying is not replaced, but rather added onto. While possessive determiners themselves do not decline or conjugate, the article of the noun they are specifying is prefixed with "d". Much like personal and possessive pronouns, possessive determiners follow the same rules of politeness and deference. Below is a table containing all the possessive determiners.

Deferential FormalDeferential InformalNon-Deferential
1st. SGri
2nd. SGanarian
3rd. SGnuridi
1st. PLryouoru
2nd. PLomoriom
3rd. PLnyori

Below are some examples of the usage of possessive determiners.

Ri de guom. || My dog.
An dai aigumi. || Your friends.
Oru de yaichem. || Our house.
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