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