Nouns
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Animacy system
Taltal taxem has 3 noun clases. Nouns are put into the clases depending on their animacy.
Animate
Things that are alive in a biological way count as Animate.
Example: animals, fungi, bacteria
Exeption: Deceased humans or pets cound as animate
Inanimate
Physical things that are not alive in an biolagical way count as Inanimate.
Example: stone, water, fire, astonomical bodies
Neither
Everything that dose not cleanly fit into the other 2 categories counts as Neiter.
Things that are includeed in that category include:
Non-physical concepts: ethics, math, time, emotions
Dead things of organic origin: leaf litter, soil, food
Mixed materials: mixed fabrics, ecosystems
This category also functions as a backup, when the speakter / writer does not know the origin and / or makeup of a thing they refer to
The effect of the Animacy of a noun
Depending on the animacy of a noun a different verb conjugation in the 3rd Person is used when the noun akst as the subject of the Sentences
‘The cat is small.’
Animate nouns use the -it suffix in the singular and the -itfe suffix in the plural.
‘The stone is big.’
Inanimate nouns use the -ir suffix in the singular and the -irfe suffix in the plural.
‘Knowledge is important.’
Neither nouns use the -il suffix in the singular and the -ilfe suffix in the plural.