Editing Aleut language (section)

==Morphology==
Open word classes in Aleut include nouns and verbs, both derived from stems with suffixes. Many stems are ambivalent, being both nominal and verbal (see [[#Derivation|§ Derivation]]). There are no adjectives other than verbal nouns and participles. Other word classes include pronouns, contrastives, quantifiers, numerals, positional nouns, demonstratives, and interrogatives.<ref name=":0" />

=== Nouns ===
Ordinary nouns have suffixes for<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Merchant |first=Jason |date=3 May 2008 |title=Aleut case matters |url=https://home.uchicago.edu/merchant/pubs/aleut.tree.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=23 March 2023 |website=uchicago.edu |archive-date=24 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324021648/https://home.uchicago.edu/merchant/pubs/aleut.tree.pdf }}</ref>
* [[Grammatical number|number]]: singular, dual, and plural
* relational case: [[Absolutive case|absolutive]] and relative
* [[Grammatical person|person]]: first, second, [[Anaphora (linguistics)|anaphoric]] third, reflexive third

{| class="wikitable"
|+Number & relational case
!
!singular
!dual
!plural
|-
!absolutive
|{{lang|ale|-(x̂)}}
|{{lang|ale|-(i)x̂}}
|E: {{lang|ale|-(i)n}}<br>A: {{lang|ale|-(i)s}}
|-
!relative
|{{lang|ale|-(i)m}}
|{{lang|ale|-(i)x̂}}
|E: {{lang|ale|-(i)n}}<br>A: {{lang|ale|-(i)s}}
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Anaphoric third person
!
!singular
!dual
!plural
|-
!absolutive
|{{lang|ale|-a}}
|{{lang|ale|-kix}}
|E: {{lang|ale|-(ng)in}}<br>A: {{lang|ale|-(ng)is}}
|-
!relative
|{{lang|ale|-(g)an}}
|{{lang|ale|-kin}}
|E: {{lang|ale|-(ng)in}}<br>A: {{lang|ale|-(ng)is}}
|} {{citation needed|date= May 2021}}

The anaphoric third person refers to a proceeding term, specified by being marked in the relative case or from context. For example, {{lang|ale-latn|tayaĝu-m ula-a}} 'the man's house' and {{lang|ale-latn|ula-a}} 'his house'.<ref name=":3" />

{| class="wikitable"
|+Pronoun forms {{lang|ale|tx(i)- / ti-}}
!
!singular
!dual
!plural
|-
!1st person
|{{lang|ale|ting}}
|E: {{lang|ale|tumin}}<br>A: {{lang|ale|timis}}
|E: {{lang|ale|tumin}}<br>A: {{lang|ale|timis}}
|-
!2nd person
|{{lang|ale|txin}}
|{{lang|ale|txidix}}
|E: {{lang|ale|txichi}}<br>A: {{lang|ale|txichix}}
|-
!reflexive 3rd person
|{{lang|ale|txin}}
|{{lang|ale|txidix}}
|E: {{lang|ale|txidin}}<br>A: {{lang|ale|txidix}}
|}

As free forms, the pronouns are used primarily as an object, like fully specified nouns. As [[enclitics]] they function as subject markers. {{citation needed|date= May 2021}}

==== Positional nouns ====
Positional nouns indicate positional, directional, or some more abstract relation to a definite referent (a person or proceeding noun in relative case). Positional nouns have possessive suffixes but no inherent number. {{citation needed|date= May 2021}}

Unlike ordinary nouns, positional nouns have two adverbial cases: [[Locative case|locative]] and/or [[Ablative case|ablative]]. The most important stem {{lang|ale-latn|i-}}, called the dative, has only a locative form (largely irregular) meaning 'to, at, for-'. {{citation needed|date= May 2021}}

Most are used in absolutive case, as in {{lang|ale-latn|ula-m agal-a agikux̂}} 'he passed behind the house'. They can also be used in the relative case, as in {{lang|ale-latn|laavki-m agal-a-n ula-a}} 'the house behind the store'.<ref name=":0" />

==== Numerals ====
The numeral system is decimal with {{lang|ale-latn|hatix̂}} 'ten' and {{lang|ale-latn|sisax̂}} 'hundred' as the basic higher terms. The higher tens numerals are derived through multiplication (e.g. 2 x10 for 'twenty'). The multiplicative numerals are derived with the suffix {{lang|ale-latn|-di-m}} on the base numeral followed by {{lang|ale-latn|hatix̂}} 'ten'. For example, {{lang|ale-latn|qankudim hatix̂}} 'forty'.<ref name=":1" /> {{clarification needed|date= May 2021|reason= in the table, it says "qankudim" is used for thirty, which makes more sense given that (at least according to the table) the word for three/3 is qankus/qaankun. Is this what it says in the source, or an error made by an editor? I'd like to know before I go about changing the translation of "qankudim hatix̂" from the current "forty" to the seemingly more likely accurate "30 (thirty)."}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+Numerals 
|1
|{{lang|ale|ataqan}}
|6
|{{lang|ale|atuung}}
|
|
|
|
|-
|2
|E: {{lang|ale|aalax}}<br>A: {{lang|ale|alax}}
|7
|{{lang|ale|uluung}}
|20
|{{lang|ale|algidim}}
|60
|{{lang|ale|atuungidim}}
|-
|3
|E: {{lang|ale|qaankun}}<br>A: {{lang|ale|qankus}}
|8
|{{lang|ale|qamchiing}}
|30
|{{lang|ale|qankudim}}
|70
|{{lang|ale|uluungidim}}
|-
|4
|E: {{lang|ale|sichin}}<br>A: {{lang|ale|siching}}
|9
|{{lang|ale|siching}}
|40
|{{lang|ale|sichidim}}
|80
|{{lang|ale|qamchiingidim}}
|-
|5
|{{lang|ale|chaang}}
|10
|{{lang|ale|hatix̂}}
|50
|{{lang|ale|chaangidim}}
|90
|{{lang|ale|sichiingidim}}
|}
{{citation needed|date= May 2021}}

=== Verbs ===
{{unreferenced section|date= May 2021}}
Verbs differ from nouns morphologically by having mood/tense suffixes. Like nominal stems, verb stems may end in a short vowel or consonant. Many stems ending in a consonant had auxiliary vowels which have largely become part of the stem itself.

Negation is sometimes suffixal, preceding or combining with the mood/tense suffix. In some cases the negation will be followed by the enclitic subject pronoun.

{| class="wikitable"
|+Present tense marker {{lang|ale|-(i)ku-}}
!
!singular
!dual
!plural
|-
!1st person
|E: {{lang|ale|-ku-qing}}<br>A: {{lang|ale|-ku-q}}
|= pl.
|E: {{lang|ale|-ku-n}}<br>A: {{lang|ale|-ku-s}}
|-
!2nd person
|E: {{lang|ale|-ku-x̂-txin}}<br>A: {{lang|ale|-kux̂t}}
|{{lang|ale|-ku-x̂-txidix}}
|E: {{lang|ale|-ku-x̂-txichi(n)}}<br>A: {{lang|ale|-kux̂txichix}}
|-
!3rd person
|{{lang|ale|-ku-x̂}}
|{{lang|ale|-ku-x}}
|E: {{lang|ale|-ku-n}}<br>A: {{lang|ale|-ku-s}}
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+Present tense negative marker {{lang|ale|-lakaĝ-}}
!
!singular
!dual
!plural
|-
!1st person
|E: {{lang|ale|-lakaqing}}<br>A: {{lang|ale|-lakaq}}
|= pl.
|E: {{lang|ale|-lakaĝin}}<br>A: {{lang|ale|-lakaĝis}}
|-
!2nd person
|E: {{lang|ale|-lakax̂-txin}}<br>A: {{lang|ale|-lakax̂t}}
|{{lang|ale|-lakax̂-txidix}}
|E: {{lang|ale|-lakax̂-txichi(n)}}<br>A: {{lang|ale|-lakax̂txichix}}
|-
!3rd person
|{{lang|ale|-lakax̂}}
|{{lang|ale|-lakaĝix}}
|E: {{lang|ale|-lakaĝin}}<br>A: {{lang|ale|-lakaĝis}}
|}

=== Derivation (postbases) ===
{{unreferenced section|date= May 2021}}
There are 570 derivational suffixes ([[postbase]]s) including many composite ones, but about two thirds are found only in a small number of words. There are approximately 175 more common suffixes, considerably less than the Eskimo branch of the family.

A postbase may be nominal or verbal, yielding nouns derived from nouns or verbs, or verbs derived from verbs or nouns, or from nominal phrases. Many stems are ambivalent, being either nominal or verbal and even some derivatives can be ambivalent.

Difficulties distinguishing between nominal and verbal parts of speech arise because the parts of speech in Aleut are not easy to distinguish. A verbal stem may be used as a verbal predicate, and quite often as a noun. The verbal use of nouns is also very common.

The derivational suffixes may combine in strings of up to about six components, some belonging together to form composites. In sequences, each successive suffix often modifies the preceding string.

The majority of derivatives have a single stem that occurs also without the suffixes in question. While some stems are bound, only occurring with some derivational suffix. For example, compare {{lang|ale-latn|iĝa-t-}} 'to scare, frighten' {{lang|ale-latn|iĝa-x̂ta-}} 'to fear, be afraid of' {{lang|ale-latn|iĝa-na-}} 'to be terrible, frightening'.