Lower Sorbian/Grammar/Declension of nouns

Masculine nouns

Hard stems

Hard-stemmed are those nouns that aren't soft-stemmed.

	singular	plural	dual
NOM	dub `oak` [1]	duby [7]	duba
GEN	duba [4]	dubow [8]	dubowu
DAT	dubu [6]	dubam	duboma
ACC	=NOM./GEN. [2]	=NOM./GEN. [3]	=NOM./GEN. [3]
INS	dubom	dubami	duboma
LOC	dubje [5]	dubach	duboma

[1] moving vowels: (a) -e-, (b) -o-, (c) -a- (and their soft counterparts), that stay in NOM. sg., but they disappear in oblique cases, e.g. (a) wogeń-wognja `fire`, wugeń-wugnja `chimney`, wugel-wugla `coal`, robel-robla `sparrow`, keŕ-krja `bush`, kóśeł-kotła `kettle`, nugeł-nugła `corner`, charchel-charchla `reflux`, źeń-dńa `day`; (b) djaboł-djabła `devil`, kozoł-kozła `goat`, wopor-wopra `casualty, sacrifice`; (c) pjas-psa `dog`, błazan-błazna `fool, jester`

[2] the category of animacy
ACC. sg. =
= { animate nouns = GEN.}, e.g. cłowjeka `of a man`
= { unanimate nouns = NOM.}, e.g. dub `of an oak`

[3] the category of personhood (note: every personal nouns is also an animate noun)
ACC. pl., du. =
= { personal nouns = GEN.}, e.g. cłowjekow `of men`
= { impersonal nouns = NOM.}, e.g. duby `of oaks`

[4] endings of hard stem GEN. sg.: (a) –a, (b) –u
(a) -a only nouns:

• 2- and more sylable nouns, e.g. cłowjek-cłowjeka
• animate nouns, np. syn-syna `son`, pjas-psa
• (1) most `bridge`, (2) list `letter; leaf`, (3) kut `corner`, (4) kśud `whip; torment`, (5) kwět `flower`, (6) šćit `defence; shield`, (7) sud `court`, (8) pšut `stock; sprout; tail`
  

(b) -u only nouns: (1) dom-domu `house`, (2) mjod-mjodu `honey`
(c) nouns hesitating between -a/-u endings: 1-sylable unanimate nouns (it happens that a choice of the ending changes the meaning, e.g. dwór-dwóra `farm` : dwór-dwóru `yard`, lud-luda `people, nation` : lud-ludu `people, folk`]

[5] LOC. sg. hard stem masculine endings: (a) –je, (b) –u:
(a) -je only nouns:

• nouns not mentioned in (b) and (c)
• exceptional nouns ending with –k: bok - na boce `side`, flak - na flace `place`, Pśiłuk - w Pśiłuce `Preilack`, rarely also jězyk - na jězyce `language`
  

(b) -u only nouns:

• nouns ending with -z, -s, -c, -ž, -š, -k, e.g. woz - na wozu, gólc - we gólcu `boy`
• some nouns ending with –d i –g: (1) rod-w rodu `sex`, (2) bog - w bogu `god`*, (3) lud - w ludu*, (4) rěd - po rědu `order` - in that meaning (*), (5) narod - pśi narodu `birth`, (6) nałog - po nałogu `habit` [forms with (*) go only with the -u form]
  

(c) nouns hesitating between -ja and -u: nouns ending with -u, e.g. brjuch - w brjuchu / w brjuše `stomach`, měch - w měchu / w měše `bag`, proch - w prochu / w proše `dust`

[6] DAT. sg. hard stem masculine endings: (a) –u, (b) –oju: (a) -u only nouns:

• majority of nouns ending with -s, -z, e.g., np. cas-casu `time`, wóz-wózu `wagon`
• first of the nouns in a concatenation of 2 personal nouns, e.g. kněz faraŕ-knězu faraŕeju `Mr. priest`

(b) –oju only nouns:

• personal nouns, e.g. nana-nanoju `dad`, syn-synoju
• nouns with GEN. sg. ending with -u, e.g. dom-domoju, dwór-dwóroju
• nouns with LOC. sg. ending with -u, e.g. casnik-casnikoju `newspaper`, grěch-grěchoju `sin`

(c) nouns with -u or -oju: the rest not mentioned in (a) and (b)

[7] NOM. pl. hard stem masculine endings: (a) –y, (b) –e, (c) –i:
(a) -y only nouns

• nouns not mentioned in (b) and (c)
• historically hard-stemmed nouns ending with -z, -s, e.g. pjas-psy, cas-casy, głos-głosy `voice`, woz-wozy, kłos-kłosy `ear of grain`, włos-włosy `hair`, kus-kusy `piece`, raz-razy `time; blow`
• nouns ended with –tš, np. wětš-wětšy `wind`, jatš-jatšy `Easter`, pśětš-pśetšy `crow beaming`, Pětš-Pětšy `Peter`, kmotš-kmotšy `godfather`
• rarely also personal nouns ending with -c, alternatively with the ending -c, e.g. gólc-gólcy
  

(b) -e only nouns

• nouns ending with -z, -s, -c, -ž, -š, -č, e.g. rjeśaz-rjeśaze `chain`, mjasec-mjasece `month, moon`, škórc-škórce `starling`, towariš-towariše `comrade`, muž-muže `husband; man`
  

(c) -i only nouns

• nouns ending with –k, -g, np. cłowjek-cłowjeki, nałog-nałogi
• (1) bratš-bratśi `brother`, (2) stari `parents`
  

(d) nouns hesitating between -y and -i endings: cart-carśi/carty `devil`, sused-suseźi/susedy `neighbour`, cygan-cygani/cygany `Gypsy`, Žyd-Žyźi/Žydy `Jew`, profet-profeśi/profety `prophet`, nan-nani/nany `father` [forms ending with -y name particular persons, with -i - the whole genus]

[8] GEN. pl. hard stem masculines: beside –ow ending there exist:
(a) null ending - after numerals and prepositions and always in case of settlement names, e.g. korc - pěś korc `tub (measure of volume)`, gody - do god `Christmas`, jatšy - do jatš, kamjeny - do kamjen `oven (pl.tant.)`, pśěg woł `ox carriage`, šesć muž, styri raz, do Dreždźan
(b) -y ending, used in same situations as (a) in case of nouns ending with -z, -s, -c, -ž, -š, -č, e.g. pjenez-pjenezy `money`

Soft stems

Nouns ending with ź, ś, ć, j, l, ŕ, b’, p’, m’, ń, w’

	singular	plural	dual
NOM	kóń `horse` [1]	kónje [7]	kónja
GEN	kónja	kónjow [8]	kónjowu
DAT	kónjoju [6]	kónjam	kónjoma
ACC	=NOM./GEN. [2]	=NOM./GEN. [3]	=NOM./GEN. [3]
INS	kónjom	kónjami	kónjoma
LOC	kónju	kónjach	kónjoma

[1] Cf. moving vowels (Hard stems 1)

[2] Cf. animacy (Hard stems 2)

[3] Cf. personhood (Hard stems 3)

[6] DAT. sg. soft stem masculine endings: (a) –oju, (b) –u, (c) –eju:
(a) nouns ending with -oju: all, except those mentioned in (b) and (c)
(b) –u nouns:
(1) kij-kiju `stock`, (2) znoj-znoju `sweat`, (3) złoźej-złoźeju `thief`, (4) łokś-łokśu `elbow` (c) –eju nouns: nouns ending with '–aŕ i –al, denoting profession names, e.g. faraŕ-fararjeju `priest`, kowal-kowaleju `blacksmith`

[8] GEN. pl. soft stem masculine endings: apart from –ow ending, there exists -i ending, which is used in those cases, as in point Hard stems, 8a, e.g. tyźeń - wjele tyźeni `week`

Exceptions

[1] a nouns luźe `people`

NOM. pl.	luźe
GEN. pl.	luźi
DAT. pl.	luźam
ACC. pl.	luźi, resp. luźe
INS. pl.	luźimi
LOC. pl.	luźach

[2] NOM. sg. źeń `dzień` - GEN. sg. dnja and further on like kóń (alternate LOC. sg. we dnjo) - NOM. ACC. pl. dny

[3] following nouns make special collective plural forms: kněz-kněža `mister-mistress and mistress`, bur-burja `peasant-peasantry`, kmotš-kmotša `godfather-godparents`

Alternative and relic forms

[1] apart from INS. pl. ending with –ami, there exists INS. pl. ending with –ymi (-imi)

[2] there exist relics of vocative case: (1) kněžo! `mister`, (2) nano! `father`, (3) of deminutives: bratśiko! `little brother`, wujko! `little uncle`, synko! `little son`, (4) of 1-sylable colloquial forms of masculine names: Mato!, Fryco!, Hanzo!, (5) of surnames endings with consonantal groups: Latk - kněz Latko!, Mětk - kněz Mětko!

Masculine nouns ending with -a

They are inflected following the patterns of feminine nouns, e.g. wojwoda `prince`, družba, podružba `best man (on a wedding)`, groba `count`, borša `apprentice`, šołta `commune leader`, nawožeńa `groom`, patriarcha, profeta, itd.; they are generally defined in masculine gender, however, rarely can they stay in feminine, e.g. taka nara, našeje boršy

Neuter nouns

Hard stems

	singular	plural	dual
NOM	słowo `word`	słowa	słowje
GEN	słowa	słowow [2]	słowowu
DAT	słowu	słowam	słowoma
ACC	=NOM.	=NOM.	=NOM.
INS	słowom	słowami	słowoma
LOC	słowje [1]	słowach	słowoma

[1] LOC. sg. hard stem neuter endings:
(a) –je: a typical ending
(b) –u:

• an alternative form in over-2-sylable-long nouns ending with -stwo, e.g. w kśesćijaństwu
• an alternative form of wucho - we wuchu : we wuše `ear`
• nouns woko – we woku `eye`, łyko – pśi łyku `bast`
• diminutives ending with –ko, np. blidko – na blidku `little table`

[2] GEN. pl. hard stem neuter endings: apart from –ow ending, there also exists null ending - it follows numerals and prepositions, it's also a default form for settlement names e.g. słowo – wjele słow

Soft stems

Neuter nouns ending with a soft consonant and those ending with -z, -s, -c, -ž, -š, -č

	sg.	pl.	du.
NOM	mórjo `sea` [3]	mórja	móri [6]
GEN	mórja	mórjow [2]	mórjowu
DAT	mórju [5]	mórjam	mórjoma
ACC	=NOM.	=NOM.	=NOM.
INS	mórjom [4]	mórjami	mórjoma
LOC	mórju	mórjach	mórjoma

[2] also null ending of GEN. pl. (Hard stems 2)

[3] following nouns have ending of NOM. sg. -je
(1) strowje `health`, (2) zele `herb`, (3) wjasele `happiness`, (4) kopje `copy`, (5) žyźe `velvet`, (6) pjerje `feather`, (7) verbal nouns ending with -nje, np. wuknjenje `learning`

[4] in LOC. sg. of soft stem neuters there are following endings:
(a) –om: nouns with NOM. sg. ending with –o
(b) –im: nouns with NOM sg. ending with -je, e.g. daśe - w daśi `giving`,
(c) –i: only in a phrase na poli `in the field`

[5] in DAT. sg. there is also an alternative ending –oju, often used for 1-sylable nouns (wokno – we woknoju `window`) and verbal nouns (kšyśe – ku kšyśoju `hiding`)

[6] II palatalisation + corelation i:y - after ź, ś, ć, j, l, ŕ, b’, p’, m’, ń, w’: -i - after z, s, c, ž, š, č: -y

Consonant stems [1]

	sg.	pl.	du.
NOM	zwěrje `animal`	zwěrjeta	zwěrjeśi
GEN	zwěrjeśa	zwěrjetow [2]	zwěrjeśowu [4]
DAT	zwěrjeśu	zwěrjetam	zwěrjeśoma [4]
ACC	=NOM.	=NOM.	=NOM.
INS	zwěrjeśim[3]	zwěrjetami	zwěrjeśoma[4]
LOC	zwěrjeśu	zwěrjetach	zwěrjeśoma [4]

[1] there are 2 types of thematic extensions (underlined part of a word in the table): (a) jeś:jet, (b) jenj, np. znamje-znamjenja `sign`; in the type (b) belongs also a word mě''-měnja `name`

[2] also null ending in GEN. pl. (Hard stems 2)

[3] more rarely instead of INS. sg. ending of neuter consonant-stemmed nouns –im comes –om

[4] in du. neuter nouns with -jeś:jet- take sometimes also hard thematic extension –jet–, np. zwěrjetoma

Exceptions

[1] a noun źiśe `child`:

• in sg. it has only NOM. and ACC.
• in pl. it's inflected like consonant-stemmed neuter without thematic extension
• lacking sg. and du. forms are replaced with consonant-stemmed neuter noun with jeś:jet góle

	sg.	pl.	du.
NOM	źiśe	źiśi	góleśi
GEN	góleśa	źiśi	góleśowu
DAT	góleśu	źiśam	góleśoma
ACC	=NOM.	=NOM.	=NOM.
INS	góleśim	źiśimi	góleśoma
LOC	góleśu	źiśach	góleśoma

[2] plural and dual number of words (1) woko, (2) wucho

NOM. ACC. du.	wócy	wušy
GEN. du.	wócowu	wušowu
DAT. INS. LOC. du.	wócyma	wušyma
NOM. ACC. pl.	wócy	wušy
GEN. pl.	wócow	wušow
DAT. pl.	wócam	wušam
INS. pl.	wócymi	wušymi
LOC. pl.	wócach	wušach

similarly wobwócy `eyebrows`, yet woko i wucho in metaphorical meanings - regularly

[3] alternative GEN. pl. of wokno: woken

Alternative and relic forms

[1] apart from INS. pl. ending with –ami there exists ending –ymi (imi)

[2] in DAT. sg. of consonant-stemmed neuter nouns there can come an alternative ending –oju

Feminine nouns

Hard stems ending with -a

+ (1) łdza `tear`,(2) sotša `sister`, (3) kmotša `godmother`

	sg.	pl.	du.
NOM	ryba `fish`	ryby [1]	rybje
GEN	ryby [1]	rybow [2]	rybowu
DAT	rybje	rybam	ryboma
ACC	rybu	ryby [1]	rybje
INS	rybu	rybami	ryboma
LOC	rybje	rybach	ryboma

[1] so called IV palatalisation: after k, g ending –i instead of –y, e.g. ruka-ruki

[2] endings of GEN. pl. of hard stem feminines: except from -ow ending there xists null ending, which follow numerals and prepositions and is always used in case of settlement names, e.g. krowa – wjele krow `cow`, wójca – mało wójc `sheep`

Soft stems ending with -a and -wej

+ those ending with historically soft -z, -s, -c, -ž, -š, -č [4]

	sg.	pl.	du.
NOM	duša `dusza`	duše	dušy [3]
GEN	duše	dušow [2]	dušowu
DAT	dušy [3]	dušam	dušoma
ACC	dušu	duše	dušy [3]
INS	dušu	dušami	dušoma
LOC	dušy [3]	dušach	dušoma

[2] endings of soft stem feminine GEN. pl. : apart from –ow ending there exists also –i : –y ending (Cf. [3]) – it follows numerals and prepositions and is always used in case of settlement names, e.g. duša – wjele dušy

[3] i:y corelation

• after ź, ś, ć, j, l, ŕ, b’, p’, m’, ń, w’: -i
• after z, s, c, ž, š, č: -y

[4] in indlection of feminine soft stem nouns ending with –wej in oblique cases e falls out and w is becoming softened, e.g. cerkwej-cerkwje `church`

Soft stems ending with consonant

a soft consonant or a historically soft-z, -s, -c, -ž, -š, -č

	sg.	pl.	du.
NOM	rěc `language`	rěcy [3]	rěcy [3]
GEN	rěcy [3]	rěcow [2]	rěcowu
DAT	rěcy [3]	rěcam	rěcoma
ACC	rěc	rěcy [3]	rěcy [3]
INS	rěcu	rěcami	rěcoma
LOC	rěcu [5]	rěcach	rěcoma

[2] ending of GEN. pl. of consonant feminines: apart from the ending –ow there exists ending –i : –y (cf. [3]) – it follows numerals and prepositions and is always used in case of settlement names, e.g. rěc – wjele rěcy

[3] i:y corelation (cf. Hard stems 3)

[5] LOC. sg. endings of consonant feminies:
(a) –i: for nouns ending with a soft consonant (ź, ś, ć, j, l, ŕ, b’, p’, m’, ń, w’), e.g. kazń-kazni `commmandment`
(b) –u: for nouns ending with a historically soft consonant (z, s, c, ž, š, č)

Alternative and relic forms

[1] apart from INS. pl. ending with –ami there exist also an ending –ymi (imi), which is particularly often used with the names of domestic animals, np. gus - z gusymi `goose with geese`

[2] a bookish and relatively rare word maś `mother` is a relic of a so-called r-stem declension: GEN. sg. maśerje (maśi) - DAT. sg. maśeri (maśi) - ACC. sg. maśeŕ - INS. sg. maśerju - LOC. sg. maśeri (maśi) - VOC. sg. maśi (maś) - du. and pl. regularly: maśeri, maśerjowu, etc.

[3] a noun kněni `mistress` before surnames isn't inflected, e.g. daj to kněni Krawcowej