Case: Case
| Values: | Abs | AbsErg | Cau | Com | Erg | Loc | LocCom | LocErg | LocLoc | LocLocErg | LocLocPer | LocPer | LocPerErg | Per | PerErg |
In Chintang, Case is a feature of nominals: NOUN, PROPN, and PRON.
It also appears on NUM when numerals function as nominals, on infinitive VERB form, and on ADV, where case marking contributes to meaning differences.
Chintang makes extensive use of case stacking.
Abs: absolutive
The absolutive case marks the sole argument of intransitive verbs and the patient of transitive verbs. The case is overtly marked only on sa “who”.
Examples
- Ba khimbe salo yuŋno? “Who lives in this house?”
- Rameŋata biskut cohatte. “Ram ate up the cookie.”
Erg: ergative
The ergative case marks the agent of transitive verbs.
Examples
- Rameŋata biskut cohatte. “Ram ate up the cookie.”
Loc: locative
The locative case marks a spatial relation. In Chintang, several distinct locative cases exist, each specifying a different type of location.
Examples
- Ba khimbe salo yuŋno? “Who lives in this house?”
- Abo huŋgo khimbaiʔni khaccone. “Now let’s take that home.”
- Khambamu thia, Kancha. “Come down on the floor, Kancha.”
- To Saĩlicebanduyaŋ kattepho. “He brought it up to Saĩli and the others as well.”
- Khimbayukta dinbhori yuŋno hola. “Maybe he stays over at his house the whole day.”
Com: comitative
The comitative case marks a referent that forms a couple or group with another and that occupies the same role as it. It corresponds to English “together with …”
Examples
- Yakkheŋ ucuwanɨŋ thaptei! “Bring the curry together with its gravy!”
Cau: finalis
Nouns in this case express the cause or purpose of something. The case can mostly be translated into English as “for”.
Examples
- Huĩ camyaŋtoŋ na maha. “That’s not (meant) for eating.”
Per: perlative
The perlative case denotes movement along something, spaces that are passed by or through.
Examples
- Elo Dharanlam kina moʔni athano? “Or do you go down there via Dharan?”
AbsErg: absolutive + ergative
Examples
- Makku, saloŋa eti camacalo chubulottoŋse? “Auntie, who has grabbed (and taken away) so much rice?”
LocCom: locative + comitative
Examples
- Lo, basaŋa na baiʔ latto, huĩ sontoloŋtaŋbeʔnɨŋ to khãbobeʔnɨŋ. “Okay, this one should be (long) enough here (to reach) to the crown of the tangerine tree and up to the stem.”
LocErg: locative + ergative
Examples
- Cuwaiʔyã taduŋcɨŋ. “I’ll bring them from the well.”
LocLoc: locative + locative
Examples
- Mo khetabhamuʔni londaŋsaŋkhau. “I am on my way to the field down there.”
LocLocErg: locative + locative + ergative
Examples
- Akka topattiʔyã tadusuŋkhalo naŋ. “I’ve brought it from upside.”
LocLocPer: locative + locative + perlative
Examples
- Rodbeyã thoreʔ bhamuʔnilamta e? “From the road, a little more along this way down here, no?”
LocPer: locative + perlative
Examples
- Utti yarita na akka bhaiʔlam pindehẽ. “That time I ran this way.”
LocPerErg: locative + perlative + ergative
Examples
- Khoi, bhamulammayaŋ dhuŋga lonno. “I don’t know, from down here smoke is rising, too.”
PerErg: perlative + ergative
Examples
- Budahaŋlamma. “From Budhahang’s side.”
Case in other languages: [am] [apu] [arr] [bej] [bg] [cs] [ctn] [el] [eme] [en] [es] [ess] [et] [fi] [ga] [gn] [grc] [gub] [hu] [hy] [ka] [kmr] [koi] [kpv] [ky] [mdf] [myu] [myv] [naq] [nmf] [pcm] [ps] [pt] [qpm] [ru] [sl] [sv] [tl] [tpn] [tr] [tt] [u] [uk] [urb] [urj] [uz] [xcl] [xmf] [yrk]