Ingush nouns all take essentially the same case
endings in the singular, but they fall into 15 declension classes based
on changes in the stem to which the endings are attached. The noun
stem may undergo ablaut (vowel changes, with the nominative case having
one vowel and the oblique cases another), and/or take an extension (a meaningless
but obligatory suffix preceding the case ending) in the oblique cases.
The different combinations of ablaut and extensions define the 15 classes.
The declension class of a noun is not predictable from its gender or meaning.
Noun stems have one of three different shapes (which
influence phonological properties of the endings and/or extension):
consonant-final (e.g. kuotam 'hen', ber 'child'), vowel-final
polysyllabic (maza 'louse', kuorta 'head'), and vowel-final
monosyllabic (txa 'wool', loa 'snow'). Each declension
class is illustrated with as many of these as it occurs with. Classes
with ablaut are illustrated with all of the known vowel alternations.
1 No change in stem vowel, no extension.
hen | louse | wool | |
Nominative | kuotam | maza | txa |
Genitive | kuotama | mazan | txan |
Dative | kuotamaa | mazaa | txanaa |
Ergative | kuotamuo | mazuo | txavuo |
Allative | kuotamaga | mazaga | txaga |
Instrumental | kuotamaca | mazaca | txaca |
Lative | kuotamagh | mazagh | txagh |
Comparison | kuotamal | mazal | txal |
2 Shortened vowel in nominative, corresponding long vowel elsewhere.
child | window | |
Nominative | ber | kor |
Genitive | biera | kuora |
Dative | bieraa | kuoraa |
Ergative | bieruo / bieraz | kuoruo |
Allative | bieraga | kuoraga |
Instrumental | bieraca | kuoraca |
Lative | bieragh | kuoragh |
Comparison | bieral | kuoral |
3 Ablaut but no extension.
price | moon | head | snow | snow (alt.) | |
Nominative | max | butt | kuorta | loa | loa |
Genitive | meaxa | betta | kerta | lea | lei |
Dative | meaxaa | bettaa | kertaa | leana | leina |
Ergative | meaxuo | bettuo | kertuo | leaga | leiga |
Allative | meaxaga | bettaga | kertaga | leaga | leiga |
Instrumental | meaxaca | bettaca | kertaca | leaca | leica |
Lative | meaxagh | bettagh | kertagh | leagh | leigh |
Comparison | meaxal | bettal | kertal | leal | leil |
3x. Partial ablaut.
father | mother | husband | son | God | |
Nominative | daa | naana | maar | vow | Deala |
Genitive | dea | neana | meara | viwii | Deala |
Dative | deana | nanna | maaraa | vowaa | Dalla |
Ergative | daaz | naanaz | maaruo | vowuo | Daala |
Allative | deaga | neanaga | maaraga | vowaga | Dealaga |
Instrumental | deaca | neanaca | maaraca | vowaca | Dealaca |
Lative | deagh | neanaga | maaraga | vowagh | Dealagh |
Comparison | deal | neanal | maaral | vowal | Dealal |
4. Stem-final -ii / -ie- and -uu / -uo-.
dog | silver | |
Nominative | zhwalii | dotuu / -uo |
Genitive | zhwalie | dotuo |
Dative | zhwaliena | dotuona |
Ergative | zhwalie | dotuo |
Allative | zhwaliega | dotuoga |
Instrumental | zhwalieca | dotuoca |
Lative | zhwalegh | dotogh |
Comparison | zhwalel | dotol |
5. Extension -aa- / -an-.
mullah | |
Nominative | molla |
Genitive | mollaa |
Dative | mollanna/mollaana |
Ergative | mollaa/mollanuo/molluo |
Allative | mollaaga/mollanga |
Instrumental | mollaaca/mollanca |
Lative | mollaagh/mollagh |
Comparison | mollaal/mollal |
6. -an- or -aa- extension and ablaut.
needle | |
Nominative | maaxa |
Genitive | meaxaa |
Dative | meaxanna |
Ergative | meaxuo |
Allative | meaxaaga |
Instrumental | meaxaaca |
Lative | meaxaagh |
Comparison | meaxaal |
7. -n- extension in all the oblique cases.
world branch bullet
world | branch | bullet | |
Nominative | dynie | tq'ouruo | pxo |
Genitive | dynen/dyniena | tq'ouron/tq'ouruona | pxon/pxona |
Dative | dynenna/dyniena | tq'ouruona/tq'ouronna | pxona/pxonna |
Ergative | dynienuo | tq'ouruonuo | pxonuo |
Allative | dynenga | tq'ouronga | pxonaga |
Instrumental | dynenca | tq'ouronca | pxonca |
Lative | dynienagh | tq'ouruonagh | pxonagh |
Comparison | dynienal | tq'ouruonal | pxonal |
8. -n- extension and ablaut.
room, house | day | light | corner, angle | |
Nominative | c'aa | di | sa | sa |
Genitive | c'en | den | sin | sean |
Dative | c'ienaa/c'enna | denna | sina | seana |
Ergative | c'ienuo | dienuo | sinuo | seanuo |
Allative | c'ienaga | denga/dienaga | singa | seanaga |
Instrumental | c'ienaca | denca/dienaca | sinca | seanaca |
Lative | c'ienagh | dienagh | sinagh | seanagh |
Comparison | c'ienal | dienal | sinal | seanal |
9. -chu- extension. (In 'neighbor' below, -xuo(-chu-)
is a derivational suffix. 'Truth' is a nominalized participle.
friend | neighbor | truth | |
Nominative | dottagh | loalaxuo | baq'dar |
Genitive | dottaghchyn | loalaxuochyn | baq'dolchyn |
Dative | dottaghchynna/-choa | loalaxuochynna/-choa | baq'dolchynna/-choa |
Ergative | dottaghchuo | loalaxuochuo | baq'dolchuo |
Allative | dottaghchynga | loalaxuochynga | baq'dolchynga |
Instrumental | dottaghchynca | loalaxuochynca | baq'dolchynca |
Lative | dottaghchogh | loalaxuochogh | baq'dolchogh |
Comparison | dottaghchul | loalaxuochul | baq'dolchul |
10. -ar- extension and no ablaut.
beak | |
Nominative | zwok |
Genitive | zwokara |
Dative | zwokaraa |
Ergative | zwokaruo |
Allative | zwokaraga |
Instrumental | zwokaraca |
Lative | zwokaragh |
Comparison | zwokaral |
11. -ar- extension and ablaut.
axe | sand | fire | |
Nominative | dig | ghum | c'i |
Genitive | dogara | ghomara | c'era |
Dative | dogaraa | ghomaraa | c'eraa |
Ergative | dogaruo | ghomaruo | c'eruo |
Allative | dogaraga | ghomaraga | c'eraga |
Instrumental | dogaraca | ghomaraca | c'eraca |
Lative | dogaragh | ghomaragh | c'eragh |
Comparison | dogaral | ghomaral | c'eral |
12. -nar- extension and ablaut. There are two such words.
steam link
steam | link | |
Nominative | wi | zwy |
Genitive | wanara | zwanara |
Dative | wanaraa | zwanaraa |
Ergative | wanaruo | zwanaruo |
Allative | wanaraga | zwanaraga |
Instrumental | wanarca | zwanaraca |
Lative | wanaragh | zwanaragh |
Comparison | wanaral | zwanaral |
13. -ii- extension (alternating regularly with -e-
in closed syllables).
sister | milk | |
Nominative | jisha | shura |
Genitive | jishii | shurii |
Dative | jishiina | shuriina |
Ergative | jishaz | shuruo/shuriiv |
Allative | jishiiga | shuriiga |
Instrumental | jishiica | shuriica |
Lative | jishegh | shuregh |
Comparison | jishel | shurel |
14. -m extension. There is one such word in the dictionary.
ram | |
Nominative | ka |
Genitive | kuoma |
Dative | kuomaa |
Ergative | kuomuo |
Allative | kuomaga |
Instrumental | kuomaca |
Lative | kuomagh |
Comparison | kuomal |
15. Initial j- drop.
cow | melody | |
Nominative | jett | jish |
Genitive | watta | aashara |
Dative | weattaa | aasharaa |
Ergative | wattuo | aasharuo |
Allative | wattaga | aasharaga |
Instrumental | wattaca | aasharaca |
Lative | wattagh | aasharagh |
Comparison | wattal | aasharal |