Number[psor]: possessor’s number
| Values: | Plur | Sing |
Possessives may have two different numbers: that of the possessed object (number agreement with modified noun) and that of the possessor. The Number[psor] feature captures the possessor’s number.
Note that in Middle Armenian grammars besides the definite article, possessive and demonstrative articles (suffixes) are distinguished. These make a distinction between the objects, that are near to the speaker (proximal, first person), near to the addressee (second person), and far from both (third person) or are possessed to them. We do not distinguish them as separate features.
See also the relatived feature Person[psor].
Sing: singular possessor
Examples
- Մինչ որ վճարի պարտքերս, որ ի յիմ շալակս է կուսած/Minč or vč̣ari partk’ers, or i yim šalaks ē kowsaç “Until He pays my debts, which have accumulated upon my shoulders”
Number[psor]=Sing|Number=Sing - կու պահեմ զճամփադ/kow pahem zč̣amp’ad “I’ll hold your path”
- Թագուոր մի կայր, աչուին էր խաժ/T’agowor mi kayr, ačowin ēr xaž “There was a King, his eyes were sea-blue”
Plur: plural possessor
The suffix -նի/-ni followed by a possessive article, is used to express the plurality of the possessor when attached to a possessed object that is already in the plural. Note that the suffix -նի/-ni is typically attached to polysyllabic words. Since monosyllabic words become polysyllabic when the plural marker -եր/-er is added, they also take the -նիս/-nis or _-նիդ/-nid forms instead of the simple -ս/-s or -դ/-d.
It is important to note that this can create ambiguity: a form like տներնիս/tnernis can signify either the plural possessor (“our houses”) or a singular possessor with a plural object (“my houses”). In this context, the suffix functions as a general possessive marker rather than strictly indicating the plurality of the owner.
Examples
- հայրերնիս/hayrernis “our fathers”
Number[psor]=Plur|Number=Plur - տներնիս/tnernis “my/our house(s)”
Number[psor]=Sing/Plur|Number=Plur/Sing