Dalmatian grammar


This article outlines the grammar of the Dalmatian language.

Nouns

A Dalmatian noun has a gender and is inflected for number. The plural is formed with the ending -i for masculine and -e for feminine nouns.

Articles

The indefinite article is ioin, whose feminine form is ioina.
Examples:
  • ioina kuosa – one house, a house
  • ioin jomno – one man, a man
The definite article for masculine nouns is el in singular and i in plural. The definite article for feminine nouns is la in singular and le in plural. Before place names in the dative case, the articles are used in the forms in tel, in tela, in teli and in tele or abbreviated as nel, nela, neli and nele.
Examples:
  • Če sant el? – What is it?
  • La sant ioina kuosa. – It is a house.
  • Jo sant la kuosa? – Where is the house?
  • La kuosa sant in tela Čituot. – The house is in the city.
  • Jo sant el Juarbol? – Where is the tree?
  • El Juarbol sant in tel buasc. – The tree is in the wood.

Adjectives

The adjectives are used before nouns and also have masculine and feminine gender and singular and plural number.
Examples:
  • Maura kuosa – Big house
  • La maura kuosa – The big house
  • Briv kavul – Fast horse
  • El briv kavul – The fast horse

Pronouns

Personal pronouns

Nominative

Singular
PersonPronounMeaning
FirstjuI
Secondtethou
Thirdjalhe
Thirdjalashe

Plural
PersonPronounMeaning
Firstnuwe
Secondvuye
Thirdjalithey
Thirdjalethey

Oblique

Singular
PersonPronounMeaning
Firstme/mainme
Secondtoithee
Thirdjoihim
Thirdjoeher

Plural
PersonPronounMeaning
Firstnoius
Secondvoiyou
Thirdjaithem

Possessive

Singular
PersonPronounMeaning
Firstmi/majamy
Secondto/toathy
Thirdde jalhis
Thirdde jalaher

Plural
PersonPronounMeaning
Firstnuester/nuestraour
Secondvester/vestrayour
Thirdde jalitheir
Thirdde jaletheir

Prepositions

in – inbas de – belowde – ofda – from, ofdri – behindsaupra – onalič – at

Verbs

The Dalmatian language does not distinguish between the continuous and simple forms. The present tense is formed from the personal pronoun, the infinitive stem, and the present endings:
Singular
  1. -a, -uo
  2. -e
  3. -a, -uo
Plural
  1. -aime
  2. -aite
  3. -a, -uo
Example: italic=no
Singular
  1. italic=no
  2. italic=no
  3. italic=no
Plural
  1. italic=no
  2. italic=no
  3. italic=no
The past tense is formed from the personal pronoun, the infinitive stem, the suffixes -ua or -oua, and the present endings.
Singular
  1. italic=no
  2. italic=no
  3. italic=no
Plural
  1. italic=no
  2. italic=no
  3. italic=no
The future tense is formed from the infinitive form and the future endings:
Singular
  1. -e
  2. -e
  3. -e
Plural
  1. -me
  2. -te
  3. -e
Examples:
Singular
  1. italic=no
  2. italic=no
  3. italic=no
Plural
  1. italic=no
  2. italic=no
  3. italic=no
The passive is formed from the past participle and the prefixes joi or jai.
Examples:
  1. italic=no
  2. italic=no
  3. italic=no
The Dalmatian language has also a conditional form:
  • italic=no
  • *Last night it was so cold, and all water has been frozen.
The imperative is formed from the infinitive stem and endings:
Examples:
  • duai! – give!
  • vedai! – look!
The imperative can also be formed from the imperative form of the verb "to be" and the infinitive:
The verb "to be":
Infinitive: Saite
Singular
  1. Ju sai
  2. Te sante
  3. Jal sant
Plural
  1. Nu saime
  2. Vu saite
  3. Jali sant

Adverbs

Adverbs of place and direction:
  • luc – here
  • cauc – there
  • sois – upwards
  • sote – under
  • dri – behind
Adverbs of time:
  • aninč – before
  • dapu – after
  • diatremun – then
  • junkaura – against, still
  • adias – now