Reference Grammar

Section 5: Pronouns


Mungayöd pronouns decline fully through all cases, numbers, and genders.
Nominative Case:


sang
iì, iu, ilu, i
vès
wadeit
fei

The nominative pronouns are used only for emphasis or to fit a poetic meter.

Hushuka dè sala.
Òësào sang li!
I love you. (emphasis on "I")
Do it! (a very strong and extremely rude imperative. The emphasis on "sang" implies an insult to the addressee's social status or mental capacity)


Accusative Case:

dèlè
sala
liì, liu, lilu, li
lès
wale
lèfi

Used for direct object.


Dative Case:

dèt
sate
to, tò, tilu, to
vèt
wata
tèfei

Used for indirect object.


Genitive Case:

dènè
sosèng
wai, wu, wilu, wi
vènèng
wanèng
wei

By Classical Mungayöd, the genitive pronouns had ceased to be pre-nominal particles (i.e., appearing before the possessed noun) and had moved into the adjectival position after the noun, thus paralleling the role that words like "my", "your", and "our" fulfill in English.


Locative Case:

dès
zana
zilì, ziu, izu, zi
zès
was
feizê

Used for static relationships: location, certain forms of possesion.


Instrumental-Sociative Case:

sòs
sonòs
sò, sòju, sòlu, sò
sovòs
sòweis
sòfei

Marks relationships of association, as well as utilization. Corresponds almost directly to the uses of English "with".


Lative Case:
dèjeng
djang
dji, djiu, dju, dji
zhès
djèdeit
feidju

Used for motion of any kind. The exact direction of the indicated motion can be clarified either by a preposition or by the verb itself.