Zhyler Noun Classes

Like sands in the hour glass: So are the Zhyler noun classes. Yes, indeed, noun classes: Like the corners of my mind. Whooooooa, noun classes: Whooooooa-hoooo: Livin' on a prayer!

(P.S.: If you already know what noun classes are, jump here for an in-depth discussion of Zhyler noun classes, or here for a quick reference table.)

Enough of that. Noun classes are used in various languages to narrow the semantic domain of the world. Or, at least, that's probably why they were originally put into place. As anyone knows who's studied German, they're now only used to annoy those who would try to learn said language. (Der/die/das my foot!) Unlike German (or French or Spanish) grammatical noun classes, though, Zhyler noun classes are used derivationally, and not inflectionally. What I mean by that is there are no separate verb conjugations (e.g., from Arabic: "huwwa kaana" = "he was", but "hiiya kaanat" = "she was"), or noun declensions (e.g., German: "Ich sehe den Hund = "I see the dog", but "Ich sehe die Frau" = "I see the woman"), or other agreements (e.g., Spanish: "mariposa anaranjada" = "orange butterfly", but "libro anaranjado" = "orange book") for nouns of different classes. Instead, noun classes are used to change the meanings of words, as well as to give meaning to meaningless bases. Here's an example.

What is pal, you may ask? Why, it's your very first root! ~:D This is cause for a celebration! I decree that thou shalt procure for thineself a nice, pure glass of cool, cool water. What could be better, on a warm sunny day (or, as the case may be, a dark and stormy night)? Nada, me parece. And you can take that to the bank!

Now, the root pal means nothing. However, the zero-derived form of any root is either: (a) an adjective, or (b) a verb. (Or, sometimes nothing at all.) In this case, it's a verb, and this verb means "to wear", as in "to wear a paper hat" (I'm listening to Eleni Mandell--before she went country). If you wanted to use it as an adjective, it'd mean "wearing", or "wearing something" (e.g., pal petti means "a ruler who's wearing something"). Anyway, that's neither here nor there, though, because we're talking about noun classes. Noun classes come in the form of suffixes, and they make the bare stem (or the verbal/adjectival stem) into a noun of some kind. There's no real way to tell which stem the noun class is being added to, since the three are identical, though some generalizations can be drawn (e.g., if it's a verbal stem, then adding a class one suffix will most likely give an agentive, human noun). Also, you can't expect to add every class suffix to any stem and come out with a meaningful word. Irregularity is par for the course when it comes to noun classes, though, so this should come as no surprise (unless you didn't know what a noun class was before now. Oh well: Fairly warned be ye, says I!). Anyway, enough of this abracablabra: Onto the examples.

The following table will possess five columns. In the first will be the number of the class suffix being added. In the second, the stem. In the third, the bare form of the class suffix. In the fourth will be the resulting word. Finally, in the fifth, the definition. Here goes:

* The l becomes an n, via sound change (5) discussed in the phonology section.

To that question, I'll give you two options: The first, a long-winded explanation; the second, a table. The long-winded explanation will be more thorough, and will come first. The tabley explanation will be shorter, and cover less, and will be at the end. That said, if you want to read the long-winded definition, just keep reading. If you do not, though, just click here, and, like magic, you will transported directly to the table! Ahhh...the wonders of the 18th century...!

Ahh...how I love to talk! Or write. Both are all good, in Blezdivania. Now then. Zhyler has seventeen noun classes. Each noun class is pretty much like the rest, only different. To follow will be a discussion of each. Here they are: