Nouns - IAC

We will discuss nouns in Interlingua Classica.

General View on Nouns

Nouns can end in -o/a. Nouns have grammatical genders: masculine and feminine.

Example

Tabula 'table'

Una tabula 'a table'

Floro 'flower'

Lo floro 'the flower'

Uso 'use, usage'

Real genders or sexes

Real genders or sexes of living beings can be in masculine -o and feminine -a. It works as in English (lion, lioness, actor, actress, etc.).

Example

Asino 'male donkey'

Asina 'female donkey'

Italiano 'male Italian'

Italiana 'female Italian'

Grammatical Cases

IAC has grammatical cases shown by the ending of the word.

Nominative: -o/a

Genitive: de, do, da, etc. + -o/a

Dative: å, ålo, åla, etc. + -o/a

Ablative: prepositions + -o/a

Accusative: -om/am

Vocative: -u/e

Example

do Deo 'God's, of God'

ålo Deo 'to God'

Illo invia unoms floroms å la matra suo.

 'He sends his mother flowers, He sends flowers to his mother'

Illa recipe lom floroms do filio sua.

'She receives her son's flowers'

Nos pagan å lo governamento unams taxams. 

'We pay the government tax money, We pay tax money to the government'

la debitas do governamento 

'the government's debts, the debts of the government'

Plural Forms

The plural form generally ends with -s for all endings.

Examples

Tabulas 'tables'

Tabulams 'tables'

Floros 'flowers'

Floroms 'flowers'

Modifier Noun

The noun that modify the meaning of the later. In American English phrases like "skim milk" etc are normal. But in British English, we must use the adjectival versions like "skimmed milk". This is true in Interlingua as well. We either use the adjectival versions or attach de (of) to the nouns. Sometimes we can use å/pro (for), but de will suffice.

Example

Tempo hibernal (adjectival)

(wintry weather, winter weather)

Tempo de hiberna (possessive)

(weather of winter, winter weather)

Canto nocturnal (adjectival)

(Nocturnal/nightly song, night song)

Canto de nocturna (possessive)

(Song of the night, night song)

Proper Nominal Modifier

We use proper nouns to modify the noun in some technical phrases.  We give the plural -s to the main noun (not the personal name).

Example

Contatoro(s) Geiger

(Geiger counter(s))

Motoro(s) Diesel

(Diesel motor(s))