Case: case
Chechen has a rich paradigm of cases marked on nouns, pronouns, numerals, determiners, and nominalized verbal forms.
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Absolutive | Ø | -ash, -ij, -i |
| Ergative | -(as), -uo | -sh-a |
| Genitive | -(a)n | -in |
| Dative | -na, -n | -ash-na |
| Instrumental | -(a)ca | -ash-ca |
| Locative | -(a)hw | -ash-ahw, -kahw |
| Lative | -(a)x | -iax, -ix |
| Ablative | -gara | -ash-kara |
| Allative | -(a)ga, -ie | -ash-ka |
| Comparative | -(a)l | -ial, -il |
Attributive forms (e.g. adjectives and demonstrative pronouns) distinguish between the absolutive and the oblique cases only (the latter is marked with the suffix -chu).
Abs: absolutive
The absolutive marks the semantic subject of intransitive verbs (the S argument), the direct object of transitive verbs (the P argument), as well as the semantic subject of transitive verbs (the A argument) with some temporal-aspectual forms (in the so-called bi-absolutive construction).
Examples
- byjsa j-alla
night.ABS J-pass.PRF
‘The night passed.’
Erg: ergative
The ergative marks the semantic subject of transitive verbs (the A argument) with most temporal-aspectual forms.
Examples
- zha.Ø lar-d-oora aas
sheep.ABS watch-D-make.IMPF 1SG.ERG
‘I used to watch sheep.’
Dat: dative
The dative marks the semantic subject of psych verbs such as deeza ‘love, need’, xaza ‘hear’, ga ‘see’, etc. It also marks the indirect object (the Goal argument) of verbs of contact and physical transfer.
Examples
- Islam-ana Nadir v-ouza.
Islam-DAT Nadir.ABS V-know
‘Islam knows Nadir.’
Gen: genitive
The genitive marks the possessor in the possessive construction.
Examples
- Islam-an mashien j-u.
Islam-GEN car.ABS J-be
‘Islam has a car.’
Ins: instrumental
The instrumental marks nominal phrases that have instrumental or comitative readings.
Examples
- Hara doexka san koch-aca d-ooghu.
DEM belt.ABS 1SG.GEN dress-INS D-come
‘This belt goes well with my dress.’
Cmp: comparative
The comparative is used exclusively to mark the standard of comparison in the comparative construction.
Examples
- san k’ant hwan jow-al liaq-ox v-u
1.SG.GEN boy.ABS 2SG.GEN girl-CMP tall-CMP V-be
‘My son is taller than your girl.’
Loc: locative
The locative marks obliques that denote a location.
Examples
- Madina-na Islam ghien-ahw go.
Madina-DAT Islam.ABS dream-LOC see
‘Islam sees Madina in the dream.’
Lat: lative
The lative marks obliques that denote source and goal.
Examples
- Islam hoqu ghaal-ax ciac-v-aella.
Islam.ABS this town-LAT impressed-V-get.PRF
‘Islam was impressed by this town.’
All: allative
The allative marks the causee in causative constructions. It also marks the addressee of utterance verbs.
Examples
-
V-oqqa-chu stag-as Islam-ie kniiga j-esh-ijt-ina
V-old-OBL man-ERG Islam-ALL book.ABS J-read-CAUS-PRF
‘The old man made Islam read the book.’ -
V-oqqa-chu stag-ie xaettana…
V-old-OBL man-ALL ask-PRF
‘(They) asked the old man…’
Abl: ablative
The ablative marks obliques that denote source or direction.
Examples
- Islam shien ghaala-ra dwa-v-axa-na.
Islam.ABS 3SG.GEN.REFL town-ABL away-V-go-PRF
‘Islam left his town.’
Acc: oblique/accusative
The oblique marks all non-absolutive uses of attributive adjectives, demonstrative pronouns, and nominalized verbal forms.
Following the UD convention, the value Acc is used to mark the oblique case.
Examples
- V-oqqa-chu stag-ie xaettana…
V-old-OBL man-ALL ask-PRF
‘(They) asked the old man…’
Case in other languages: [am] [apu] [arr] [axm] [bej] [bg] [ce] [cs] [ctn] [dar] [el] [eme] [en] [es] [ess] [et] [fi] [ga] [gn] [gor] [grc] [gub] [hu] [hy] [hyw] [ka] [kmr] [koi] [kpv] [ky] [mdf] [myu] [myv] [naq] [nmf] [oge] [pal] [pcm] [ps] [pt] [qpm] [ru] [sl] [sv] [tl] [tpn] [tr] [tt] [u] [uk] [urb] [urj] [uz] [xcl] [xmf] [yrk]