Editing Nobiin language (section)

==Grammar==

===Pronouns===
The basic [[personal pronoun]]s of Nobiin are:

* {{lang|fia|ày-}} ''I''
* {{lang|fia|ìr-}} ''you'' (singular)
* {{lang|fia|tàr-}} ''he, she, it''
* {{lang|fia|ùù-}} ''we''
* {{lang|fia|úr-}} ''you'' (plural)
* {{lang|fia|tér-}} ''they''

There are three sets of [[possessive pronoun]]s. One of them is transparently derived from the set of personal pronouns plus a connexive suffix {{lang|fia|-íín}}. Another set is less clearly related to the simple personal pronouns; all possessive pronouns of this set bear a high tone. The third set is derived from the second set by appending the nominalizing suffix {{lang|fia|-ní}}.

<div style="float:right; clear:right">
{|style="margin:10px;padding:5px;width:210px;border:1px solid #CCCCCC"
! my 
| {{lang|fia|àyíín}} || {{lang|fia|án}} || {{lang|fia|ànní}}
|-
! your 
| {{lang|fia|ìríín}} || {{lang|fia|ín}} || {{lang|fia|ìnní}}
|-
! his/her 
| {{lang|fia|tàríín}} || {{lang|fia|tán}} || {{lang|fia|tànní}}
|-
! our 
| {{lang|fia|ùùíín}} || {{lang|fia|úún}} || {{lang|fia|ùùní}}
|-
! your 
| {{lang|fia|úríín}} || {{lang|fia|únn}} || {{lang|fia|únní}}
|-
! their 
| {{lang|fia|téríín}} || {{lang|fia|ténn}} || {{lang|fia|ténní}} 
|}
</div>

Nobiin has two [[demonstrative pronoun]]s: {{lang|fia|ìn}} 'this', denoting things nearby, and {{lang|fia|mán}} 'that', denoting things farther away. Both can function as the subject or the object in a sentence; in the latter case they take the object marker {{lang|fia|-gá}} yielding {{lang|fia|ìngà}} and {{lang|fia|mángá}}, respectively (for the object marker, see also [[#Grammar|below]]). The demonstrative pronoun always precedes the nouns it refers to.

{{interlinear|lang=fia-Latn|indent=2
|<u>ìn</u> íd dìrbád wèèkà kúnkènò
|<u>this</u> man hen one:OB have:3SG.PRES
|'This man has a hen.'}}

{{interlinear|lang=fia-Latn|indent=2
|<u>mám</u> búrúú nàày lè?
|<u>that</u> girl who be.Q
|'Who is that girl?'}}

===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.

===Verbs===
Verbal morphology in Nobiin is subject to numerous [[Morphophonology|morphophonological]] processes, including syllable contraction, vowel [[elision]], and [[Assimilation (linguistics)|assimilation]] of all sorts and directions. A distinction needs to be made between the verbal base and the morphemes that follow. The majority of verbal bases in Nobiin end in a consonant (e.g. {{lang|fia|nèèr-}} 'sleep', {{lang|fia|kàb-}} 'eat', {{lang|fia|tíg-}} 'follow', {{lang|fia|fìyyí-}} 'lie'); notable exceptions are {{lang|fia|júú-}} 'go' and {{lang|fia|níí-}} 'drink'. Verbal bases are mono- or disyllabic. The verbal base carries one of three or four tonal patterns. The main verb carries person, number, tense, and aspect information.

{{interlinear|lang=fia-Latn|indent=2
|ày féjírkà sàllìr
|I morning.prayer pray:I.PRES
|'I pray the morning prayer.'}}

Only rarely do verbal bases occur without appended morphemes. One such case is the use of the verb {{lang|fia|júú-}} 'go' in a [[Serial verb construction|serial verb]]-like construction.

{{interlinear|lang=fia-Latn|indent=2
|áríj wèèkà fà <u>júú</u> jáánìr
|meat one:OB FUT <u>go</u> buy:I.PRES
|'I'm going to buy a piece of meat.'}}

===Syntax===
The basic word order in a Nobiin sentence is [[Subject–object–verb word order|subject–object–verb]]. Objects are marked by an object suffix {{lang|fia|-gá}}, often assimilating to the final consonant of the word (e.g., {{lang|fia|kìtááb}} 'book', {{lang|fia|kìtááppá}} 'book-<small>OBJECT</small>' as seen below). In a sentence containing both an indirect and a direct object, the object marker is suffixed to both.

{{interlinear|lang=fia-Latn|indent=2
|kám íw-<u>gà</u> kàbì
|camel corn-<u>OB</u> eat:he.PRES
|'The camel eats corn.'}}
{{interlinear|lang=fia-Latn|indent=2
|ày ìk-<u>kà</u> ìn kìtááp-<u>pá</u> tèèr
|I you-<u>OB</u> this book-<u>OB</u> give:I.PRES
|'I give you this book.'}}

Questions can be constructed in various ways in Nobiin. Constituent questions ('Type 1', questions about 'who?', 'what?', etc.) are formed by use of a set of verbal suffixes in conjunction with question words. Simple interrogative utterances ('Type 2') are formed by use of another set of verbal suffixes.

{|style="margin:20px;padding:5px;width:210px;border:1px solid #CCCCCC"
!&nbsp;!!Type 1!!Type 2
|-
!I 
| {{lang|fia|-re}}/{{lang|fia|-le}} || {{lang|fi|-réè}}
|-
!you 
| {{lang|fia|-i}} || {{lang|fia|-náà}}
|-
!he/she 
| {{lang|fia|-i}} || {{lang|fia|-náà}}
|-
!we 
| {{lang|fia|-ro}}/{{lang|fia|-lo}} || {{lang|fia|-lóò}}
|-
!you (pl) 
| {{lang|fia|-ro}}/{{lang|fia|-lo}} || {{lang|fia|-lóò}}
|-
!they 
| {{lang|fia|-(i)nna}} || {{lang|fia|-(ì)nnànáà}}
|}

Some of the suffixes are similar. Possible ambiguities are resolved by the context. Some examples:

<section begin="list-of-glossing-abbreviations"/><div style="display:none;">
Q1:constituent question
Q2:interrogative question
</div><section end="list-of-glossing-abbreviations"/>
{{interlinear|lang=fia-Latn|indent=2
|<u>mìn</u> ámán túúl áány<u>ì</u>?
|<u>what</u> water in live:PRES.<u>2/3SG.Q1</u>
|'What lives in water?'}}
{{interlinear|lang=fia-Latn|indent=2
|<u>híddó</u> nííl mìr<u>ì</u>?
|<u>where</u> Nile run/flow:PRES.<u>2/3SG.Q1</u>
|'Where does the Nile flow?'}}
{{interlinear|lang=fia-Latn|indent=2
|ìr sààbúúngà jáán<u>náà</u>?
|you soap:OB have:<u>2/3SG.PRES.Q2</u>
|'Do you have soap?'}}
{{interlinear|lang=fia-Latn|indent=2
|sàbúúngà jáán<u>náà</u>?
|soap:OB have:PRES<u>2/3SG.Q2</u>
|'do you sell soap?' / 'Does he/she sell soap?'}}
{{interlinear|lang=fia-Latn|indent=2
|úr báléél árág<u>róò</u>?
|you.PL party.at dance:PRES<u>1/2PL.Q2</u>
|'Do you (pl.) dance at the party?'}}