The wikilret determiner is an article that indicates grammatical gender. It can also be a quantifier and a demonstrative. It goes before all nouns except for pronouns and proper names and is not required when the possessive is marked on an object.
(demonstrative prefix)-article-(indefinite suffix)-(partitive suffix)
There are three articles, which are gender dependant. Gender is divided into loquent vs. non-loquent (ie. Is it capable of language or not?). Loquent is further divided into formal vs. informal.
Used when talking to someone of a higher station or as a form of respect. It is also used for dreams and religious or arcane concepts. Use the article asem before the noun.
Used when talking to someone of the same or a lower station (peasant to aristocrat, children to parent, child to adult). It is also used for abstract concepts (a city, the language, a name, the land). Use the article ipen before the noun.
Used for non-intelligent creatures and inanimate objects (or slaves in the Old Kingdoms). Its use to refer to a loquent being is very rude. Use the article ümen before the noun.
| Prefix | Objects . . . | Concepts Discussed . . . |
|---|---|---|
| -ke | touching, wearing, or within reach | within current conversation |
| -gë | within the speaker's perception | in a conversation between the participants |
| -ro | outside of the speaker's perception | in a conversation not involving the participants |
To make the determiner indefinite add the suffix -a:
When combined with a partive suffix, the indefinite article also serves to indicate a "general case", where the definite article indicates a more specific instance.
The partitive suffix is an optional quantifier.
| -gal | all: the entire or total number or quantity |
| -er | many/a lot: a large indefinite number or quantity |
| -pas | some: an unspecified number or quantity of the whole |
| -or | few/a little: a small indefinite number or quantity |
| -jol | singular: unique (one of a kind) or only 1 of a pair |
| -zal | null: none |
A Conlang
Wikilret
