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Grammatical Concept: Marking Definiteness
Asaxi utilizes a closed class of determiners to mark the definiteness and specificity of a noun (or nominalized concept). They act as the “anchor” of the Noun Phrase.
1. The Inventory
The form of the definite article is determined by the Warmth of the target noun. The indefinite article is neutral.
| Determiner | Type | Agreement | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| onă | Definite | Warm Nouns | The / This (Specific Animate/Hot thing) |
| onýj | Definite | Cold Nouns | The / This (Specific Inanimate/Cold thing) |
| anő | Indefinite | Neutral | A / An / Some (Non-specific) |
2. Usage with Nouns
Rules:
- Emphasis: Determiners are often optional. They are used when specificity is required or to distinguish “The X” from “An X.”
- Structure:
[Determiner] + (Locative Prefix)-[Noun] - Harmony: The ending of the definite article (
-nă/-nýj) rhymes with the Adjective Suffix required for that noun class.
Examples:
- onă shá (The person).
- onýj shěso (The book).
- anő shá (A person / Some person).
3. Usage with Verbs (Nominalization)
Determiners play a critical role in converting Verbs into Nouns (Gerunds).
A. The Indefinite Nominalizer (anő) The indefinite determiner anő is the only determiner that can attach directly to a verb. It treats the action as an abstract concept or an instance of the event.
- Rule:
anő+[Verb]= “A [Verbing]” / “The act of [Verbing].” - Example: anő shěsonů (“A reading”).
B. The Definite Nominalizer (onă or onýj) You must use the proximal prefix if you choose to use them.
- Rule:
onăoronýj+proximal prefix-[Verb]= “A [Verbing]” / “The act of [Verbing].” - Correct: [anő o-shěsonů] (“The specific reading” - using the Proximal Prefix).
4. Pronoun Function
When used without a noun, determiners function as Demonstrative Pronouns.
- onă: “This (one)” (pointing to a person/animal).
- onýj: “This (one)” (pointing to an object).
- anő: “That / One” (indefinite reference).
- Usage: Often used as a filler word (“Uhh… that thing…”).
See Also
- 00_Noun Classification (Gender) in Asaxi (For Warm/Cold rules).
- 37_Nominalization (Gerunds) (For detailed verbal noun syntax).