Istro-Romanian grammar
The grammar of the Istro-Romanian language shares similar grammar with other Eastern Romance languages.
Morphology
The theorized evolution of Istro-Romanian from Daco-Romanian, a language that may have evolved independently, shows two distinct features:
- Noun declination shows a rationalisation of forms: normal noun declination of Romanian has almost totally disappeared in Istro-Romanian;
- Whereas verbal inflexion is more conservative and its evolution is not so pronounced.
Nouns
The article has two forms: definite and indefinite. The definite article may be nominal or adjectival. The nominal being added to nouns, and the adjectival placed before adjectives.
The nominal forms are: for masculine nouns: -l and -le, for feminine -a in the singular, and for masculine -i and feminine -le in the plural.
However, as in spoken Daco-Romanian the -l of the masculine singular definite article is dropped leaving the linking -u- vowel, e.g. DR lupul > IR lupu (the wolf), DR ursul > IR ursu (the bear), DR mielul > IR mľelu (the lamb).
The -le ending is used for all masculine singular nouns ending in -e, e.g. fråtele (the brother), sorele (the sun), cărele (the dog).
Some examples of Masculine nouns showing case endings, nominative=accusative, genitive=dative. The vocative case is not shown as this normally corresponds with the nominative.
- fiľ (son), fiľi (pl.)
Case | Istro-Romanian | Aromanian | Megleno-Romanian | Romanian | English |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nom/Acc sg. | fiľu | hiljlu | iľiu | fiul | the son |
Gen/Dat sg. | lu fiľu | a hiljlui | lu iľiu | al fiului | of/to the son |
Nom/Acc pl. | fiľi | hiljli | iľii | fiii | the sons |
Gen/Dat pl. | lu fiľi | a hiljlor | lu iľii | al fiilor | of/to the sons |
- socru (father-in-law), socri (pl.)
Case | Istro-Romanian | Aromanian | Megleno-Romanian | Romanian | English |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nom/Acc sg. | socru | socrulu | socru | socrul | the father-in-law |
Gen/Dat sg. | lu socru | a socrului | lu socru | al socrului | of/to the father-in-law |
Nom/Acc pl. | socri | socri | socri | socrii | the fathers-in-law |
Gen/Dat pl. | lu socri | a socrilor | lu socri | al socrilor | of/to the fathers-in-law |
- fråte (brother), fråţ (pl.)
Case | Istro-Romanian | Aromanian | Megleno-Romanian | Romanian | English |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nom/Acc sg. | fråtele | frate | frateli | fratele | the brother |
Gen/Dat sg. | lu fråtele | a fratelui | lu frateli | al fratelui | of/to the brother |
Nom/Acc pl. | fråţ | fratslji | fraţili | fraţii | the brothers |
Gen/Dat pl. | lu fråţ | a fratslor | lu fraţilor | al fraţilor | of/to the brothers |
Feminine nouns
The -a replaces -ĕ and -e, e.g. cåsĕ > cåsa (the house), nopte > nopta (the night); however a few feminine nouns ending in a stressed -e behave differently, e.g. ste > stevu (the star), ne > nevu (the snow).
- fetĕ (girl), fete (pl.)
Case | Istro-Romanian | Aromanian | Megleno-Romanian | Romanian | English |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nom/Acc sg. | feta | feata | feta | fata | the girl |
Gen/Dat sg. | lu feta | a featiljei | lu feta | al fetei | of/to the girl |
- muľerĕ (woman), muľere (pl.)
Case | Istro-Romanian | Aromanian | Megleno-Romanian | Romanian | English |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nom/Acc sg. | muľera | muljarea | muľiarea | muierea | the woman |
Gen/Dat sg. | lu muľera | a muljariljei | lu muľiarea | al muierei | of/to the woman |
- ste (star), stele (pl.)
Case | Istro-Romanian | Aromanian | Megleno-Romanian | Romanian | English |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nom/Acc sg. | stevu | steao | steua | steaua | the star |
Gen/Dat sg. | lu stevu | a steaoljei | lu steua | al stelei | of/to the star |
Nom/Acc pl. | stelele | steale | stelili | stelele | the stars |
Gen/Dat pl. | lu stelele | a stealilor | lu stelilor | al stelelor | of/to the stars |
Neuter nouns behave as Masculine nouns in the singular and Feminine in the plural (sometimes known as Mixed nouns)
- bråţ (arm), bråţe (pl.) - bråţu (the arm), bråţele (pl.)
- os (bone), ose (pl.) - osu (the bone), osele (pl.)
- zid (wall), zidur (pl.) - zidu (the wall), zidurle (pl.)
- plug (plough), plugur (pl.) - plugu (the plough), plugurle (pl.)
The forms of the adjectival article are ćela for the masculine and ćå for the feminine singular, and in the plural masculine ćeľ and feminine ćåle, e.g. ćela bur (the good one).
The masculine indefinite article is un and feminine is o. The declination of the indefinite article has disappeared. Examples: un om (a man), un cå (a horse), o misĕ (a table), o båbĕ (an old woman).
Adjectives
Adjectives also have three genders, the masculine and feminine forms from the Latin, while the neuter form is of Slavic origin. E.g. bur, burĕ, buro (good). The comparative adjective is måi bur (better) and the superlative is ćel måi bur (the best).
The adjective may precede the noun: bura zi ((the)good day), which in itself can be made definite by the change of -ĕ to -a; or follows the noun: feta muşåtĕ (the beautiful girl).
Pronouns
Definite pronouns can be personal, possessive, demonstrative, relative and interrogative.
Personal pronouns
Case | I | II | III | III | I | II | III |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nom. | io | tu | ie | iå | noi | voi | ieľ/iåle |
I | you | he | she | we | you | they | |
Acc. | mire | tire | ăl | ăl | ne | ve | lor |
Acc. | me/m' | te/t' | ăl/l' | o | ne/n' | ve/v' | lor |
me | you | him | her | us | you | them | |
Dat. | mi/âm/m' | ţi/âţ/ţ' | âľ/ľ/lui | âľ/ľ/ľei | ni/ne/n' | vi/ve/v' | le/ľ |
to me | you | him | her | us | you | them |
e.g. m-åm ărs (I laughed), l-åi vezut (you saw him)
Possessive pronouns:
Sg. Masc. | Fem. | Pl. Masc. | Fem. | English |
---|---|---|---|---|
meu/mev | me | meľ | mele | my |
teu/tev | te | teľ | tele | your |
seu/lui | se/ľei | seľ | sele | his/her/its |
noştru | noştrĕ | noştri | noştre | our |
voştru | voştrĕ | voştri | voştre | your |
lor | lor | lor | lor | their |
e.g. mev ćåće (my father), lui căre (his dog), ľei måie (her mother), noştri cåľ (our horses)
Demonstrative pronouns
- this: ćest, ćåsta
- these: ćeşť, ćåste
May also begin with ţ- or ť- e.g. ţest om (this man)
- that: ćel, ćå
- those: ćeľ, ćåle
Likewise may begin with ţ- e.g. ţåle lingure (those spoons)
- this one: ćesta-istu, ćåsta-ista
- that one: ćela-istu, ćåista
- that other one: ćela-åt, ćå-åtĕ
- those other ones: ćeľ-åľţi, ćåle-åte
Relative pronouns
- which: cåre / cårle, pl. cårli
Interrogative pronouns
- who: ćire / će
- which: cåre / cårle, pl. cårli
- which one: căt
Indefinite pronouns
(M - F)
one: un - o
some: vrun - vro
one/a: ur - o
not a: ničur - ničurĕ
nothing: nimic
something: ćeva
other: åt - åta - åto
each: saki - saca - saco
whichever: cătcoder
Cardinal numbers
The majority of cardinal numbers are from Latin stock, with several borrowings from the local Slavic
- un/ur (M), o (F)
- doi (M), do (F)
- trei
- påtru
- ćinć / ţinţ
- şåse
- şåpte
- opt / osăn
- devet
- zåće / zeće / deset
- urprezåće / iednaist
- doiprezåće / dvanaist
- treiprezåće / trenaist
19. devetprezåće
20. dovotezåće / dvadeset / dvaiset
21. dovotezåće şi ur
30. treivotezåće
40. cvårnaru
50. ćinćvotezåće
...
100. sto
101. sto şi ur
200. dovotesto
1000. miľår / tisuť / tåvžânt
Notes:
11 is composed of '1 on 10' ur-pre-zåće
20 is composed of '2 times 10' do-vote-zåće, likewise, 200 is '2 times 100' do-vote-sto
1000 miľår comes from Venetian dialect, tisuť from Slavic, and tåvžânt from German.
Ordinal
(M - F)
1st. prvi - prva
2nd. doile - dova
3rd. treile - treia
4th. påtrile - påtra
5th. ćinćile - ćinća
6th. şåsele - şåsa
7th. şåptele - şåpta
8th. osmule - osma
9th. devetile - deveta
10th. desetile - deseta
last zådni / zădăńu - zådńa
See also
References
- A. Kovačec: Notes sur les formes de cas en istroroumain. Studia Romanica 13-14: 75-84, Zagreb 1962
- A. Kovačec: Certaines modifications grammaticales des 'quantitatifs' et 'qualitatifs' istroroumains dues a l' influence croate. Studia Romanica 23: 195-210, Zagreb 1967
- A. Kovačec: Le calque lexical d' apres le croate comme cause de certains changements grammaticaux istroroumains. Actele de XII Congres International de Lingvistica si Filologie Romanica, vol. 2: 1127-1131, Bucuresti 1971
- A. Kovačec: Istrorumunjsko-hrvatski rječnik s gramatikom i tekstovima (Glosar Istroroman-Croat cu gramatica si texte). Verba moritura vol. I, 1 - 378 p. Mediteran, Pula 1998
External links
Istro-Romanian grammar test of Wikipedia at Wikimedia Incubator |
- The Istro-romanians in Croatia - Alphabet
- UNESCO Red Book on Endangered Languages - entry for Istro-Romanian
- Istro-Romanian Community Worldwide