Editing Alyutor language (section)

=== Nouns ===
Nouns are inflected for number, case, definiteness, and grammatical person.

There are three [[grammatical number]]s: singular, dual and plural.

There are eleven cases: [[absolutive]], [[ergative case|ergative]], [[locative]], [[dative]], [[lative]], [[prolative]], contractive, [[causative]], equative, [[comitative]], and [[Associative case|associative]].

Number and case are expressed using a single affix. A suffix is used for all cases except the comitative and associative, which are expressed using [[circumfix]]es. There are two [[declension]]s, taught as three noun classes. The first class are nonhuman nouns of the first declension. Number is only distinguished in the absolutive case, though verbal agreement may distinguish number when these nouns are in the ergative. The second class are proper names and kin terms for elders. They are second declension, and distinguish number in the ergative, locative, and lative cases, as well as the absolutive. The third class are the other human nouns; they may be either first or second declension.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!
!colspan=3 | 1st declension
!colspan=3 | 2nd declension
|-
!
! singular || dual || plural
! singular || dual || plural
|-
! absolutive
| {{center|(stem)}}
| {{center|-t/-ti}}
| {{center|-w/-wwi}}
| {{center|(stem)}}
| {{center|-nti}}
| {{center|-w/-wwi}}
|-
!ergative
| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;" | -a/-ta
| {{center|-ənak}}
|colspan=2 style="text-align:center;" | -ətək
|-
!locative
| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;" | -k/-ki
| {{center|-ənak}}
|colspan=2 style="text-align:center;" | -ətək
|-
!dative
| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;" | -ŋ
| {{center|-ənaŋ}}
|colspan=2 style="text-align:center;" | -ətək
|-
!lative
| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;" | -kəŋ
|colspan=3 style="text-align:center;" | —
|-
!prolative
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;" | -jpəŋ/-ɣəpəŋ (-e ~ -i)
|-
!contactive
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;" | -jit ~ -jita
|-
!causative
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;" | -kjit ~ -kjita
|-
!equative
| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;" | -u/-nu
|colspan=3 style="text-align:center;" | -u/-ənu
|-
!comitative
| colspan="3" | {{center|ɣa{{circumfix|…}}a/-ta}}
|colspan=3 | {{center|awən{{circumfix|…}}ma}}
|-
!associative
| colspan="3" | {{center|ɣeqə{{circumfix|…}}a/-ta}}
|colspan=3 style="text-align:center;" | —
|}

==== Case roles ====
*The absolutive case is the citation form of a noun. It is used for the argument ("subject") of an intransitive clause and the object of a transitive clause, for "syntactic possessives",{{Clarify|date=January 2010}} and for the [[vocative]].
*The ergative is used for the agent ("subject") of a transitive verb, as an [[instrumental case]], and as the argument of an [[antipassive]] clause.
*The locative is used for position and direction ([[essive]] and [[lative case]]s), as well as arguments which are "driven away",<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Case for Fewer Cases in Pre-Chukotko-Kamchatkan: Grammaticalization and Semantics in Internal Reconstructions|last=Wdzenczny|first=Dibella|publisher=Eastern Michigan University.|year=2011}}</ref> e.g.:
{{interlinear|lang=alr|indent=3
|ənnu ɣilŋatə-tkən ujatiki-k.
|he-ABS.SG drive-IMPERF sledge-LOC
|'he drove away the sledge.'}}
*The dative is used for recipients, benefactors, directional objects ([[allative case]]), and subjects of experiential verbs
*Lative is used for motion toward a goal
*Prolative is used for movement along and movement from ([[perlative]] and [[elative case]]s)
* Equative is used with the meanings 'like X', 'as X', usually with verbs like 'to become', 'to turn into', 'to work as,' etc.
* Contactive is used for objects that make contact
* Causative is used for noun phrases that cause or motivate an action
* Comitative is used for ... {{Clarify|date=January 2010}}. It is primarily used with high-animacy referents.
* Associative is used for secondary or passive accompaniment. {{Clarify|date=January 2010}} It is only attested in the declension of nouns of the first declension, usually inanimate.

==== Grammatical person ====
Grammatical first and second person suffixes on nouns are used to equate a noun with participants in the discourse. They only appear in the absolutive, with an intervening ''j'' on nouns ending in a vowel and an ''i'' on nouns ending in a consonant.

{| class="wikitable"
!
! singular
! dual
! plural
|-
! 1st person
| -j-ɣəm
| -muri
| -muru
|-
! 2nd person
| -j-ɣət
| -turi
| -turu
|}

* ...ʡopta am-ʡujamtawilʔ-ə-muru "yes we the people"
* japlə=q ʡujamtawilʔ-iɣəm "and I'm a man"