Editing Nobiin language (section)

===Nouns===
[[Noun]]s in Nobiin are predominantly [[syllable|disyllabic]], although mono- and three- or four-syllabic nouns are also found. Nouns can be derived from adjectives, verbs, or other nouns by appending various [[suffix]]es. In forming the [[plural]], the tone of a noun becomes low and one of four plural markers is suffixed. Two of these are low in tone, while the other two have a high tone.

* {{lang|fia|-ìì}} (L): {{lang|fia|féntí}} → {{lang|fia|fèntìì}} '(sweet) dates'
* {{lang|fia|-ncìì}} (L): {{lang|fia|àrréé}} → {{lang|fia|àrèèncìì}} 'falls'
* {{lang|fia|-ríí}} (H): {{lang|fia|áádèm}} → {{lang|fia|ààdèmríí}} 'men, people'
* {{lang|fia|-gúú}} (H): {{lang|fia|kúrsí}} → {{lang|fia|kùrsìgúú}} 'chairs'

In most cases it is not predictable which plural suffix a noun will take. Furthermore, many nouns can take different suffixes, e.g., {{lang|fia|ág}} 'mouth' → {{lang|fia|àgìì}}/{{lang|fia|àgríí}}. However, nouns that have final {{lang|fia|-éé}} usually take Plural 2 ({{lang|fi|-ncìì}}), whereas disyllabic low-high nouns typically take Plural 1 ({{lang|fia|-ìì}}).

[[Gender]] is expressed lexically, occasionally by use of a suffix, but more often with a different noun altogether, or, in the case of animals, by use of a separate nominal element {{lang|fia|óndí}} 'masculine' or {{lang|fia|kàrréé}} 'feminine':

*{{lang|fia|íd}} 'man' vs. {{lang|fia|ìdéén}} 'woman'
*{{lang|fia|tòòd}} 'boy' vs. {{lang|fia|búrú}} 'girl'
*{{lang|fia|kàjkàrréé}} 'she-ass' vs. {{lang|fia|kàjnóndí}} 'donkey'

The pair ''male slave/female slave'' forms an interesting exception, showing gender marking through different endings of the lexeme: {{lang|fia|òsshí}} 'slave (m.)' vs. {{lang|fia|òsshá}} 'slave (f.)'. An [[Old Nubian language|Old Nubian]] equivalent which does not seem to show the gender is {{lang|onw-Latn|ooshonaeigou}} 'slaves'; the plural suffix {{lang|onw-Latn|-gou}} has a modern equivalent in {{lang|fia|-gúú}} (see above).

In [[compound noun]]s composed of two nouns, the tone of the first noun becomes low while the appended noun keeps its own tonal pattern.

* {{lang|fia|kàdíís}} 'cat' + {{lang|fia|mórrí}} 'wild' → {{lang|fia|kàdììs-mórrí}} 'wild cat'
* {{lang|fia|ìkìríí}} 'guest' + {{lang|fia|nóóg}} 'house' → {{lang|fia|ìskìrììn-nóóg}} 'guest room'
* {{lang|fia|tògój}} 'sling' + {{lang|fia|kìd}} 'stone' → {{lang|fia|tògòj-kìd}} 'sling stone'

Many compounds are found in two forms, one more [[lexicalization|lexicalized]] than the other. Thus, it is common to find both the coordinated noun phrase {{lang|fia|háhám ámán}} 'the water of the river' and the compound noun {{lang|fia|bàhàm-ámán}} 'river-water', distinguished by their tonal pattern.