Vozgian nouns, pronouns and adjectives have a rich declension, distinguishing between three genders, three numbers and thirteen cases. Furtermore, Vozgian nouns have a definite and indefinite declension. The combination of these factors result in a grand total of 75 forms per noun, giving the language a mildly agglutinative look.
The genders are: masculine, feminine and neuter. In this respect Vozgian is not different from any other Slavic language, nor, for that matter, from most other Indo-European languages.
The numbers are: singular, dual and plural. The dual is not used too frequently; it appears predominantly in posh or overly official speech, and in official documents.
There are thirteen cases: nominative, vocative, accusative, genitive, dative, benefactive, instrumental, comitative, locative, elative, illative, ablative, allative. The normal Slavic cases are not different in their usage from other Slavic languages: the nominative indicates the subject of a sentence; the vocative (different from the nominative only in a few instances) is used for addressing people or objects; the accusative indicates the object of the sentence; the genitive indicates possession; the dative indicates the indirect object (the person - or sometimes object - to whom something is given or said); and the instrumental is used to indicate the instrument or means, by which an action is performed, and like in other Slavic languages it is also used to indicate a predicate.
The locative also belongs to the “standard” Slavic cases, but there is one difference: it can be used with or without a preposition. In the latter case, it indicates place without being more specific. This "naked" locative is used when the exact location of the subject is obvious or insignificant; depending on context, it can be translated as "in", "at", "on", etc. For example: "in Russia", "at school", "in the kitchen". Prepositions can be used to express the exact location explicitly, as can the prefixes "vŭe-" (in) and "na-" (on).
The remaining cases are the result of a process of agglutination: prepositions became postpositions, postpositions became suffixes, and suffixes became cases.
The benefactive has the simple meaning "for" and indicates that this noun is the recipient or takes the benefit of an action; it originates from the Common Slavic preposition *dьlja. The comitative (from *sъ) expresses accompaniment and can be translated as "with".
At last, there are four lative cases: the elative (from *ьz) expresses motion out of a location, the illative (from *do) into a location, the ablative (from *odъ) away from a location, and the allative (from *kъ) towards a location.
Vozgian has no real articles. However, each noun has two declensions: a definite and an indefinite declension. The definite declension is characterised by the following postpositions, which fulfill the function of definite articles:
| singular | dual | plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| masc./neut. | fem. | masc./fem./neut. | masc./fem./neut. | |
| Nom. Acc. Gen. Dat. Ben. Instr. Com. Loc. El. Ill. Abl. All. |
-t/-tu -t/-tu -tu -tumu -tola -täm -tämes -tum -toz -todu -tŭod -tuk |
-ta -te -tuj -tuj -töla -tjö -tuz -tuj -tuz -tödu -tŭod -tuk |
-tai/-þe/-te -tai/-þe/-te -tü -täma -tüla -täma -tämas -tü -tüz -tüdu -tüvŭod -tämak |
-þe/-tai/-ta -þe/-tai/-ta -täch -täm -täla -täme -tämis -täch -täz -tädu -tächŭod -tämek |
The Vozgian nouns can be subdivided into sixteen classes (five masculine, five feminine, six neuter). It should be noted, however, that in some cases one class is merely a variation of another class, and that there are quite a lot of exceptions and irregular forms.
Class 1. Consists of all feminine nouns with the ending -a, preceded by a hard consonant. Example: žena "woman".
| 1 | singular | dual | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | indef. | def. | indef. | def. | |
| Nom.Voc. Acc. Gen. Dat. Ben. Instr. Com. Loc. El. Ill. Abl. All. |
žena (-u) ženo ženai žene ženaila ženjö ženjöns žene ženaz ženaidu ženajöd ženäk |
ženata ženonte ženaituj ženätuj ženaitöla ženontjö ženontjöns ženätuj ženaituz ženaitödu ženaitŭod ženätuk |
žene žene ženu ženama ženula ženama ženamas ženu ženuz ženudu ženuvŭod ženamak |
ženäþe ženäþe ženutü ženantäma ženutüla ženantäma ženantämas ženutü ženutüz ženutüdu ženutüvŭod ženantämak |
ženai ženai žen ženam ženela žename ženamis ženach ženez ženedu ženjöd ženamek |
ženaitai ženaitai ženutäch ženantäm ženutäla ženantäme ženantämis ženatäch ženutäz ženutädu ženutächŭod ženantämek |
Class 2. Consists of all feminine nouns with the ending-a, preceded by a soft consonant. Example: zemja "earth".
| 2 | singular | dual | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | indef. | def. | indef. | def. | |
| Nom.Voc. Acc. Gen. Dat. Ben. Instr. Com. Loc. El. Ill. Abl. All. |
zemja (-je) zemö zemjai zemje zemila zemjö zemjöns zemje zemjaz zemidu zemijöd zemik |
zemjata zemönte zemituj zemituj zemitöla zemöntjö zemöntjöns zemituj zemituz zemitödu zemitŭod zemituk |
zemü zemü zemü zemjama zemüla zemjama zemjamas zemü zemüz zemüdu zemüvŭod zemjamak |
zemüþe zemüþe zemütü zemjantäma zemütüla zemjantäma zemjantämas zemütü zemütüz zemütüdu zemütüvŭod zemantämak | zemje zemje zem zemjam zemjela zemjame zemjamis zemjach zemjez zemjedu zemjöd zemjamek | zemjetai zemjetai zemütäch zemjantäm zemütäla zemjantäme zemjantämis zemjatäch zemütäz zemütädu zemütächŭod zemjantämek |
Class 3. Consists of most feminine nouns ending with a consonant (the Common Slavic i-stems), except for those that belong to class 4 and 5. Example: oš "axis".
| 3 | singular | dual | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | indef. | def. | indef. | def. | |
| Nom.Voc. Acc. Gen. Dat. Ben. Instr. Com. Loc. El. Ill. Abl. All. |
oš (-e) oš oše oše ošila ošö ošöns oše ošiz ošidu ošöd ošik |
ošeta ošete ošituj ošituj ošitöla ošöntjö ošöntjöns ošituj ošituz ošitödu ošitŭod ošituk |
oše oše ošü ošema ošela ošema ošemas ošü ošez ošedu ošüvŭod ošemak |
ošiþe ošiþe ošütü ošentäma ošütüla ošentäma ošentämas ošütü ošütüz ošütüdu ošütüvŭod ošentämak |
oše oše ošej ošem ošela ošeme ošemis ošech ošez ošedu ošejöd ošemek |
ošitai ošitai ošejtäch ošentäm ošejtäla ošentäme ošentämis ošetäch ošejtäz ošejtädu ošejtächŭod ošentämek |
Class 4. This class consists of all feminine substantivised adjectives with the ending -oþ, and is merely an extension of class 3. The only difference appears in the definite declension, where *-noþeta etc. have changed into -nosta etc. Example: iðenoþ "unit, unity".
| 4 | singular | dual | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | indef. | def. | indef. | def. | |
| Nom.Voc. Acc. Gen. Dat. Ben. Instr. Com. Loc. El. Ill. Abl. All. |
iðenoþ (-e) iðenoþ iðenoþe iðenoþe iðenoþila iðenoþö iðenoþöns iðenoþe iðenoþiz iðenoþidu iðenoþöd iðenoþik |
iðenosta iðenoste iðenostuj iðenostuj iðenostöla iðenostjö iðenostjöns iðenostuj iðenostuz iðenostödu iðenostŭod iðenostuk |
iðenoþe iðenoþe iðenoþü iðenoþema iðenoþela iðenoþema iðenoþemas iðenoþü iðenoþez iðenoþedu iðenoþüvŭod iðenoþemak |
iðenoþiþe iðenoþiþe iðenostü iðenostäma iðenostüla iðenostäma iðenostämas iðenostü iðenostüz iðenostüdu iðenostüvŭod iðenostämak |
iðenoþe iðenoþe iðenoþej iðenoþem iðenoþela iðenoþeme iðenoþemis iðenoþech iðenoþez iðenoþedu iðenoþejöd iðenoþemek |
iðenostai iðenostai iðenostäch iðenostäm iðenostäla iðenostäme iðenostämis iðenostäch iðenostäz iðenostädu iðenostächŭod iðenostämek |
Class 5. This class consists of two words only: maþ "mother" and doč "daughter" (the Common Slavic r-stems).
| 5 | singular | dual | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | indef. | def. | indef. | def. | |
| Nom.Voc. Acc. Gen. Dat. Ben. Instr. Com. Loc. El. Ill. Abl. All. |
maþ (-e) maþ materje materje materila materjö materjöns materje materiz materidu materjöd materik | mateta matete matertuj matertuj matertöla matertjö matertjöns matertuj matertuz matertödu matertŭod matertuk | materje materje materü materma materla materü matermas materma materez materdu matervŭod matermak | materþe materþe matertü matertäma matertüla matertäma matertämas matertü matertüz matertüdu matertüvŭod matertämak | materje materje materjej materjem materjela materme matermis materjech materjez materjedu materjöd matermek | matertai matertai matertäch matertäm matertäla matertäme matertämis matertäch matertäz matertädu matertächŭod matertämek |
Class 6. Consists of those masculine nouns that end with -a preceded by a hard consonant. This class corresponds entirely with class 1; the only difference are the masculine case endings of the postfixed definite article. Example: sluha "servant".
| 6 | singular | dual | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | indef. | def. | indef. | def. | |
| Nom.Voc. Acc. Gen. Dat. Ben. Instr. Com. Loc. El. Ill. Abl. All. |
sluha (-u) sluho sluhai sluhe sluhaila sluhjö sluhjöns sluhe sluhaz sluhaidu sluhajöd sluhäk |
sluhat sluhont sluhaitu sluhätumu sluhaitola sluhontäm sluhontämes sluhätum sluhaitoz sluhaitodu sluhaitŭod sluhätuk |
sluhe sluhe sluhu sluhama sluhula sluhama sluhamas sluhu sluhuz sluhudu sluhuvŭod sluhamak |
sluhetai sluhetai sluhutü sluhantäma sluhutüla sluhantäma sluhantämas sluhutü sluhutüz sluhutüdu sluhutüvŭod sluhantämak |
sluhai sluhai sluh sluham sluhela sluhame sluhamis sluhach sluhez sluhedu sluhjöd sluhamek |
sluhaiþe sluhaiþe sluhutäch sluhantäm sluhutäla sluhantäme sluhantämis sluhatäch sluhutäz sluhutädu sluhutächŭod sluhantämek |
Class 7. Idem, but the ending -a is preceded by a soft consonant. Roughly a combination of classes 6 and 2.
Class 8. Masculine words ending with a consonant, belonging to the Common Slavic o-stems. Example: rav "slave".
| 8 | singular | dual | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | indef. | def. | indef. | def. | |
| Nom.Voc. Acc. Gen. Dat. Ben. Instr. Com. Loc. El. Ill. Abl. All. |
rav (-e) rav rava ravu ravala ravum ravumes rave ravaz ravadu ravŭod ravuk | ravut ravut ravatu ravutumu ravatola ravontäm ravontämes ravätum ravatoz ravatodu ravatŭod ravutuk | rava rava ravu ravuma ravula ravuma ravumas ravu ravuz ravudu ravŭod ravumak | ravatai ravatai ravutü ravontäma ravontüla ravontäma ravontämas ravutü ravutüz ravutüdu ravutüvŭod ravontämak | rävje ravai ravŭo ravum ravula ravume ravumis raväch ravuz ravudu ravŭod ravumek | räviþe ravaiþe ravotäch ravontäm ravotäla ravontäme ravontämis ravetäch ravotäz ravotädu ravotächŭod ravontämek |
Class 9. Similarly, this class consists of masculine nouns ending with a consonant, but descended from the Common Slavic u-declension. Example: pol "half, side".
| 9 | singular | dual | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | indef. | def. | indef. | def. | |
| Nom.Voc. Acc. Gen. Dat. Ben. Instr. Com. Loc. El. Ill. Abl. All. |
pol (-u) pol polu poluje polula polum polumes polu poluz poludu polvŭod polujek | polet polet polutu polutumu polutola polentäm polentämes polutum polutuz polutodu polutŭod polutuk | polai polai polŭo poluma polola poluma polumas polŭo poloz polodu polovŭod polumak | polaitai polaitai polotü polentäma polotüla polentäma polentämas polotü polotüz polotüdu polotüvŭod polentämak | polove polai polŭo polum polola polume polumis poluch poloz polodu polovŭod polumek | poloveþe polaiþe polotäch polentäm polotäla polentäme polentämis poletäch polotäz polotädu polotächŭod polentämek |
Class 10. Consists of masculine nouns ending with a soft consonant. Like class 3, this class descends from the Common Slavic i-declension, and it has the same forms. Example: ponþ "path".
| 10 | singular | dual | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | indef. | def. | indef. | def. | |
| Nom.Voc. Acc. Gen. Dat. Ben. Instr. Com. Loc. El. Ill. Abl. All. |
ponþ (-e) ponþ pönþe pönþe pönþila pönþem pönþemes pönþe pönþiz pönþidu pönþijöd pönþik |
pönþet pönþet pönþitu pönþitumu pönþitola pönþentäm pönþentämes pönþitum pönþitoz pönþitodu pönþitŭod pönþituk |
pönþe pönþe pönþü pönþema pönþüla pönþema pönþemas pönþü pönþüz pönþüdu pönþüvŭod pönþemak |
pönþitai pönþitai pönþütü pönþentäma pönþütüla pönþentäma pönþentämas pönþütü pönþütüz pönþütüdu pönþütüvŭod pönþentämak |
pönþe pönþe pönþej pönþem pönþela pönþeme pönþemis pönþech pönþez pönþedu pönþevŭod pönþemek |
pönþeþe pönþeþe pönþetäch pönþentäm pönþetäla pönþentäme pönþentämis pönþetäch pönþetäz pönþetädu pönþetächŭod pönþentämek |
Class 11. Neuter nouns ending with -u (Common Slavic o-stems). Example: ognu "window".
| 11 | singular | dual | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | indef. | def. | indef. | def. | |
| Nom.Voc. Acc. Gen. Dat. Ben. Instr. Com. Loc. El. Ill. Abl. All. |
ognu ognu ogna ognu ognala ognum ognumes ogne ognaz ognadu ognŭod ognuk |
ognotu ognotu ognatu ognutumu ognatola ognontäm ognontämes ognätum ognatoz ognatodu ognatŭod ognutuk |
okne okne oknu oknuma oknula oknuma oknumas oknu oknuz oknudu oknŭod oknumak |
oknäte oknäte oknutü oknontäma oknutüla oknontäma oknontämas oknutü oknutüz oknutüdu oknutüvŭod oknontämak |
okna okna oken oknum oknela oknume oknumis oknech oknez oknedu oknŭod oknumek |
oknata oknata oknetäch oknontäm oknetäla oknontäme oknontämis oknetäch oknetäz oknetädu oknetächŭod oknontämek |
Class 12. Neuter nouns ending with -e (preceded by a soft consonant, descends from the Common Slavic jo-stems). Example: morje "sea".
| 12 | singular | dual | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | indef. | def. | indef. | def. | |
| Nom.Voc. Acc. Gen. Dat. Ben. Instr. Com. Loc. El. Ill. Abl. All. |
morje morje morja morü morjala morüm morümes morü morjaz morjadu morvŭod morük |
morjetu morjetu morjatu morütumu morjatola moröntäm moröntämes morütum morjatoz morjatodu morjatŭod morütuk |
mörje mörje mörü mörüma mörüla mörüma mörümas mörü mörüz mörüdu mörŭod mörümak |
mörjete mörjete mörütü mörüntäma mörütüla mörüntäma mörüntämas mörütü mörütüz mörütüdu mörütüvŭod mörüntämak | mörja mörja mör mörüm mörjela mörüme mörümis mörjech mörjez mörjedu mörjöd mörümek |
mörjata mörjata mörjetäch mörüntäm mörjetäla mörüntäme mörüntämis mörjetäch mörjetäz mörjetädu mörjetächŭod mörüntämek |
Class 13. A variation of class 12, consisting of substantivised verbs with the ending -nje. The only difference with class 12 is that the definite article is attached directly to the root of the word. Example: imanje "possession".
| 13 | singular | dual | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | indef. | def. | indef. | def. | |
| Nom.Voc. Acc. Gen. Dat. Ben. Instr. Com. Loc. El. Ill. Abl. All. |
imanje imanje imanja imanü imanjala imanüm imanümes imanü imanjaz imanjadu imanŭod imanük |
imantu imantu imantu imantumu imantola imantäm imantämes imantum imantoz imantodu imantŭod imantuk |
imanje imanje imanü imanüma imanüla imanüma imanümas imanü imanüz imanüdu imanŭod imanümak |
imante imante imantü imantäma imantüla imantäma imantämas imantü imantüz imantüdu imantüvŭod imantämak | imanja imanja iman imanüm imanla imanüme imanümis imanjech imanjez imandu imanjöd imanümek |
imanta imanta imantäch imantäm imantäla imantäme imantämis imantäch imantäz imantädu imantächŭod imantämek |
Class 14. Neuter word ending with -e, gen. -enje, nom.pl. -ena. These are the Common Slavic n-stems. Example: ime "name".
| 14 | singular | dual | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | indef. | def. | indef. | def. | |
| Nom.Voc. Acc. Gen. Dat. Ben. Instr. Com. Loc. El. Ill. Abl. All. |
ime ime imenje imenje imenila imenjem imenjemes imenje imeniz imenidu imenöd imenik |
imentu imentu imentu imentumu imentola imentäm imentämes imentum imentoz imentodu imentŭod imentuk |
imene imene imenu imenema imenula imenema imenemas imenu imenuz imenudu imenŭod imenemak |
imente imente imentü imentäma imentüla imentäma imentämas imentü imentüz imentüdu imentüvŭod imentämak |
imena imena imen imenam imenula imename imenamis imenach imenuz imenudu imenŭod imenamek |
imenta imenta imentäch imentäm imentäla imentäme imentämis imentäch imentäz imentädu imentächŭod imentämek |
Class 15. Neuter nouns ending with -e, gen. -ente (the Common Slavic nt-stems). Example: däte "child".
| 15 | singular | dual | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | indef. | def. | indef. | def. | |
| Nom.Voc. Acc. Gen. Dat. Ben. Instr. Com. Loc. El. Ill. Abl. All. |
däte däte detente detenþe detentela detenþem detenþemes detente detentez detentedu detentöd detenþik |
dätentu dätentu detentu detentumu detentola detentäm detentämes detentum detentuz detentodu detentŭod detentuk |
denente detente detentu detenþema detentula detenþema detenþemas detentu detentuz detentudu detentŭod detenþemak |
detentete detentete detentü detentäma detentüla detentäma detentämas detentü detentüz detentüdu detentüvŭod detentämak |
detenta detenta detent detenþem detentula detenþeme detenþemis detenþech detentuz detentudu detentuvŭod detenþemek |
detentata detentata detentäch detentäm detentäla detentäme detentämis detentäch detentäz detentädu detentächŭod detentämek |
Class 16. A rather archaic group of neuter words ending with -u, gen. -ese (the Common Slavic s-stems). Example: slohu "word".
| 16 | singular | dual | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | indef. | def. | indef. | def. | |
| Nom.Voc. Acc. Gen. Dat. Ben. Instr. Com. Loc. El. Ill. Abl. All. |
slohu slohu slovese sloveše slovesela slovesem slovesemes slovese slovesez slovesedu slovesod slovešik |
slohutu slohutu slovestu sloveštumu slovestola slovestäm slovestämes slovestum slovestuz slovestodu slovestŭod sloveštuk |
slovese slovese slovesu slovešema slovesula slovešema slovešemas slovesu slovesuz slovesedu slovesŭod slovešemak |
slovestete slovestete slovestü sloveštäma slovestüla sloveštäma sloveštämas slovestü slovestüz slovestüdu slovestüvŭod sloveštämak |
slovesa slovesa sloves slovešem slovesela slovešeme slovešemis slovešech slovesuz slovesedu sloveštuvŭod slovešemek |
slovesta slovesta slovestutäch sloveštäm slovestutäla sloveštäme sloveštämis sloveštäch slovestäz slovestädu slovestächŭod sloveštämek |