Dalmatian grammar


This article outlines the grammar of the Dalmatian language.

Alphabet

A B Č D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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 yoin, whose feminine form is yoina.
Examples:
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:
The adjectives are used before nouns and also have masculine and feminine gender and singular and plural number.
Examples:

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

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: favular
Singular
  1. Ju favula
  2. Te favule
  3. Jal favula
Plural
  1. Nu favulaime
  2. Vu favulaite
  3. Jali favula
The past tense is formed from the personal pronoun, the infinitive stem, the suffixes -ua or -oua, and the present endings.
Singular
  1. Ju favlua
  2. Te favlue
  3. Jal favlua
Plural
  1. Nu favluaime
  2. Vu favluaite
  3. Jali favlua
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. Ju favulare
  2. Te favulare
  3. Jal favulare
Plural
  1. Nu favularme
  2. Vu favularte
  3. Jal favulare
The passive is formed from the past participle and the prefixes joi or jai.
Examples:
  1. joi nascoit
  2. jai glazait
  3. joi talyuat
The Dalmatian language has also a conditional form:
The imperative is formed from the infinitive stem and endings:
Examples:
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

s of place and direction:
Adverbs of time: