The Bèshus Language: Nouns, Pronouns and Particles

This section describes the inflectional morphology of nouns and pronouns in Bèshus. Determiners and conjunctions will also be listed here. Verbs and postpositions will be covered in a separate section, please see the introduction for a menu.

Noun Declensions

Nouns are marked mainly for gender and case. Plurality can be marked on neuter nouns by converting them to mass nouns. This doesn’t apply for masculine or feminine nouns.

Cases

Bèshus has five cases:

The Absolutive case is the subject for an intransitive verb and the objects for a transitive verb.
The Ergative case marks a topical subject for a transitive verb. It can also be used as an adjunct to mark a cause.
The Accusative case marks a topical object for a transitive verb. It can also mark a comment to imply a result or completed action. It is also used with postpositions that refer to motion.
The Dative case represents an indirect object. It is also used with certain postpositions.
The Vocative case represents addressees.

There is no formal genitive case, as possessors are in the absolutive case followed by a postposition. In informal speech, however, a clitic, f’, may be placed before nouns which begin with either a vowel, a semivowel, or an l.

The Absolutive case is the unmarked form of a noun, so dictionary entries are given in this form.

Accented Declension

This declension is for nouns with accented stems. Dictionary forms end in -s (feminine) or -n (masculine or mass).

Case	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Mass
Absolutive	-s	\|	-n	-n
Ergative	-san	-sh*	-nesh	-nem
Accusative	-sen	-r*	-nel	-nen
Dative	-san	-l	-nal	-nem
Vocative	-mes	-m	-men	-men

* causes a preceding a to become e
| indicates a loss of segments at the end of the stem, after the bar in the dictionary form

Unaccented Declension

The following declension is used nouns that have no accent in their stems. Masculine nouns end with -nà and mass nouns end with -nè

Case	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Mass
Absolutive	-s	\|	-nà	-nè
Ergative	-zan	-sh*	-nèsh	-nèn
Accusative	-zen	-l*	-nèr	-nèm
Dative	-zan	-l	-nàl	-nèn
Vocative	-mes	-m	-mnà	-mnè

* causes a preceding a to become e
| indicates a loss of segments at the end of the stem, after the bar in the dictionary form

N Declension

For nouns with stems ending in -n. Dictionary forms end in –ndà for masculine nouns and –ndè for mass nouns. Accents and segments in brackets are dropped if the stem has accent.

Case	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Mass
Absolutive	-n	\|	-ndà	-n(dè)
Ergative	-nsan	-n	-ndèsh	-ndèm
Accusative	-nsen	-n*	-ndèl	-ndèn
Dative	-nsan	-n	-ndàl	-ndèm
Vocative	-nmes	-m	-nmenà	-nmen(è)

* causes a preceding a to become e
| indicates a loss of segments at the end of the stem, after the bar in the dictionary form

M Declension

For nouns with stems ending in -m. There are no feminine nouns for this declension.

Case	Neuter	Masculine	Mass
Absolutive	\|	-m	-m
Ergative	-n	-mnesh	-mnem
Accusative	-m*	-mnel	-mnen
Dative	-m	-mnal	-mnem
Vocative	-m	-mben	-mben

* causes a preceding a to become e
| indicates a loss of segments at the end of the stem, after the bar in the dictionary form

Irregular Nouns

The root han ‘thing’ is replaced with lèn in the plural. This also applies to any neuter nouns have a stem ending in the root han:

Case	‘Thing’	‘Things’	‘Sheet’	‘Sheets’
Absolutive	han	lèn	plàhan	plàlen
Ergative	han	lènden	plàhan	plàlenden
Accusative	hen	lèndem	plàhen	plàlendem
Dative	han	lènden	plàhan	plàlenden
Vocative	ham	lènmen	plàham	plàlenmen

Pronouns and Determiners

Personal Pronouns

First and second person pronouns are marked for case, number and politeness. There is no vocative case for pronouns. Politeness is only marked in the singular number, there is no plural polite form.

First Person Pronouns

Case	Singular	Polite	Plural
Absolutive	wó	unoà	wón
Ergative	wósh	wónash	wóden
Accusative	wór	wóner	wónem
Dative	wól	wónal	wóden

Second Person Pronouns

Case	Singular	Polite	Plural
Absolutive	me	mes	menè
Ergative	mesh	mesan	mèn
Accusative	mel	mesen	menèm
Dative	mal	mesan	mèn

Third Person Pronouns

Case	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Mass
Absolutive	sa	da	nà	nè
Ergative	san	desh	nàsh	nèn
Accusative	sen	del	nèr	nèm
Dative	san	dal	nàl	nèn

There are also reflexive pronouns: zhel in the accusative case and zhal in the dative case.

Demonstratives

Proximal (This)

Case	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Mass
Absolutive	san	sat	sandà	sandè
Ergative	sansan	sandesh	sandèsh	sandèn
Accusative	sansen	sandel	sandèr	sandèm
Dative	sansan	sandal	sandàl	sandèn

Distal (That)

Case	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Mass
Absolutive	zes	zet	zenà	zenè
Ergative	zezan	zedesh	zenàsh	zenèn
Accusative	zen	zedel	zenèr	zenèm
Dative	zezan	zedal	zenàl	zenèn

Interrogative (who/What)

Case	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Mass
Absolutive	hín	hín	hím	hím
Ergative	hínsan	híndesh	hímnesh	hímnen
Accusative	hínsen	híndel	hímnel	hímnem
Dative	hínsan	híndal	hímnal	hímnen

Quantifiers

Quantifiers can either modify a noun as a determiner; or can be used as a pronoun (declined for case, person and gender)

Determiners

lè	None
tush	Few
yés	Many
pi	some	
zhányes	all
e	any
abá	each
híni	how many

None

Case	1st Person	2nd Person	Feminine	Neut. Plural/Mass	Masculine
Absolutive	lèmu	lèm	lèn	lèm	lèm
Ergative	lèmwosh	lèmbesh	lènsan	lèmnet	lèmnash
Accusative	lèmwor	lèmbel	lènsen	lèmnem	lèmnar
Dative	lèmwol	lèmbal	lènsan	lèmnet	lèmnal

Few

Case	1st Person	2nd Person	Feminine	Neut. Plural/Mass	Masculine
Absolutive	shwó	shum	shus	shunè	shunà
Ergative	shwósh	shumesh	shusan	shunèt	shunàsh
Accusative	shwór	shumel	shusen	shunèm	shunàr
Dative	shwól	shumal	shusan	shunèt	shunàl

many

Case	1st Person	2nd Person	Feminine	Neut. Plural/Mass	Masculine
Absolutive	yésu	yézam	yézas	yézen	yézan
Ergative	yéswosh	yézamesh	yézasan	yézanet	yézanash
Accusative	yéswor	yézamel	yézasen	yézanem	yézanar
Dative	yéswol	yézamal	yézasan	yézanet	yézanal

Some

Case	1st Person	2nd Person	Feminine	Neut. Plural/Mass	Masculine
Absolutive	pyevó	pyem	pyes	pyenè	pyenà
Ergative	pyevósh	pyemesh	pyesan	pyenèt	pyenàsh
Accusative	pyevór	pyemel	pyesen	pyenèm	pyenàr
Dative	pyevól	pyemal	pyesan	pyenèt	pyenàl

All

Case	1st Person	2nd Person	Feminine	Neut. Plural/Mass	Masculine
Absolutive	zhámu	zhám	zhán	zhám	zhám
Ergative	zhámwosh	zhámbesh	zhánsan	zhámnet	zhámnash
Accusative	zhámwor	zhámbel	zhánsen	zhámnem	zhámnar
Dative	zhámwol	zhámbal	zhánsan	zhámnet	zhámnal

ANy

Case	1st Person	2nd Person	Feminine	Neut. Plural/Mass	Masculine
Absolutive	eavó	eam	eas	eat	eanà
Ergative	eavósh	eamesh	easan	eadesh	eanàsh
Accusative	eavór	eamel	easen	eadel	eanàr
Dative	eavól	eamal	easan	eadal	eanàl

Each

Case	1st Person	2nd Person	Feminine	Neut. Plural/Mass	Masculine
Absolutive	abáv	abám	abás	abát	abán
Ergative	abávosh	abámesh	abásan	abádesh	abánash
Accusative	abávor	abámel	abásen	abádel	abánar
Dative	abávol	abámal	abásan	abádal	abánal

How many?

Case	1st Person	2nd Person	Feminine	Neut. Plural/Mass	Masculine
Absolutive	hínyev	hínyem	hínyes	hínyen	hínyen
Ergative	hínyevosh	hínyemesh	hínyesan	hínyenet	hínyenash
Accusative	hínyevor	hínyemel	hínyesen	hínyenem	hínyenar
Dative	hínyevol	hínyemal	hínyesan	hínyenet	hínyenal

Relative Pronouns

These mark the beginning of a relative clause and also existential clauses (see syntax for more information)

Case	Affirmative	Negative
Absolutive	te	bá
Ergative	tesh	bésh
Accusative	tel	bél
Dative	tal	bál

Conjunctive Pronouns

These pronouns act are placed at the end of a clause and act as the topic of the following clause:

Case	General	Infinitive	‘Then’	‘But Then’
Absolutive	to	she	ka	kadá
Ergative	tosh	shesh	kesh	kezhedá
Accusative	tor	shel	ker	kredá
Dative	tol	shal	kal	kladá

Conjuctions

There are two standard conjunctions that simply link two sentences together: akka ‘therefore’
and ekke ‘because’.

Most other conjunctions are correlatives, with each particle preceding a clause:

X and Y	 - he (h’) X he (h’) Y
X or Y	 - her (hr’) X her (hr’) Y 
X or Y?	 - hrané X her Y
X but Y	 - he (h’) X hadá Y
X but not Y	 - he (h’) X bá Y
X nor Y	 - bá X bá Y

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The Bèshus Language: An Introduction – Stephen Escher says:

December 23, 2021 at 7:04 pm

[…] Nouns, Pronouns and Particles […]

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Worldbuilding, Conlanging and Other Stuff

The Bèshus Language: Nouns, Pronouns and Particles

Noun Declensions

Cases

Accented Declension

Unaccented Declension

N Declension

M Declension

Irregular Nouns

Pronouns and Determiners

Personal Pronouns

First Person Pronouns

Second Person Pronouns

Third Person Pronouns

Demonstratives

Proximal (This)

Distal (That)

Interrogative (who/What)

Quantifiers

Determiners

None

Few

many

Some

All

ANy

Each

How many?

Relative Pronouns

Conjunctive Pronouns

Conjuctions

One comment

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The Bèshus Language: Nouns, Pronouns and Particles

Noun Declensions

Cases

Accented Declension

Unaccented Declension

N Declension

M Declension

Irregular Nouns

Pronouns and Determiners

Personal Pronouns

First Person Pronouns

Second Person Pronouns

Third Person Pronouns

Demonstratives

Proximal (This)

Distal (That)

Interrogative (who/What)

Quantifiers

Determiners

None

Few

many

Some

All

ANy

Each

How many?

Relative Pronouns

Conjunctive Pronouns

Conjuctions

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