Adzhatic nouns
Adzhatic nouns have three genders (masculine, feminine and neuter), two numbers (singular and plural) and four cases (nominative, genitive, dative and accusative). Definiteness can be expressed with a definite article, which is attached to the noun like e.g. in Scandinavian languages. There is no indefinite article. The noun has six declension patterns. The adjectives have strong and weak declension patterns.
Nouns
Adzhatic nouns have six declension patterns. A noun's stem can assimilate with some endings or with the attached definite articles. The following paradigm is observed in this case:
voiced | voiceless | fricative | voiced | voiceless | fricative | |
b | p | v | m | p | v | |
d | t | ð | n | n / ˘(t) | ð | |
dz | c | dz | v | f | v | |
dź | ć | dź | z | s | z | |
g, h | k | ħ | ź | ś | ź | |
ĺ | l | v |
Note that the designations of voiced, voiceless and fricative are not always correctly used. They are maintained however due to lack of good alternatives.
The assimilation influences all assimilable consonants in the cluster before an ending until the next vowel (reading from right to left). In general, assimilation is caused almost only by endings and definite articles, so nouns without them may end in unassimilated consonantclusters.
The n, which often precedes other consonants, has three voiceless forms of appearance:
- Before a voicelessness causing ending, it becomes a t and the preceding vowel is, if possible, shortened by putting a ˘ on it;
- When the n forms a pre-final part of a cluster, it only causes the preceding vowel to shorten (by putting ˘ on it);
- Sometimes the n appears as the last letter of a word on a position that is considered voiceless: e.g. the indefinite nominative singular masculine of third declination words.
Fricative assimilation only occurs in the fifth declension. Here exist therefore the following variants: pĕb (doctor), pĕpciŕ (the doctor), pĕviź (doctors). Or, with a consonant cluster: adźand (Adzhatian), adźătciŕ (the Adzhatian), adźaððiź (Adzhatians).