Nouns in Circassian are
different by their relation to the human:
1. Relating to the human
(the people, surnames, name, professions, nationalities) are
answering to the question 'хэт?'
("who?").
2. Not Relating to human
(animals, fish, plants, inanimate subjects) are answering to
question "сыд?" ("what?").
Nouns in Circassian
language are different with their quantity:
I. The Single form.
2. The Plural form. Noune
gets the suffix '~хэ' in plural form.
Example: кIалэ
- boy, кIалэхэ - boys;
бзылъфыгъ -
woman,
бзылъфыгъхэ
- women ; нэ - eye, нэхэ - eyes;
etc.
Noun is being changed on
four cases, there it receives the corresponding suffix:
I. Nominitive Case.
Has the suffix - р: кIалэр -
boy; кIалэхэр - boys,
бзылъфыгъэр
- woman. Under intransitive verbs expresses the subject,
implementing main action.
Under
connecting verbs expresses the object to which the main action is
directed:
бзылъфыгъэм
джанэр
егъыкIэ - woman a shirt wipes. (the
woman is washing the shirt)
2. Ergative Case. Has
the suffix -m: кIалэм - boy, кIалэхэм
- boys,
пшъэшъэхэм
- girls, and etc..
It is Used:
- for connecting verbs, as
feature of subject, realising main action:
бзылъфыгъэм
джанэр
егъыкIэ - woman wipes a shirt.
- Under intransitive
verbs, as object of the main action: кIалэр
тхъылъэм
еджэ - boy reads a book.
As circumstance of action
i.e. feature of place, time of action and etc:
ЛыIр
унэм
ихьыгъ - man entered the house.
Чэщэм
къещхыгъ - At night
it was raining.
Тыгъуасэ
чылэм сэщыIагъ
- Yesterday I was in the village.
3. Instrumental Case. Has
the suffix -мкIэ or -кIэ:
къэлэмкIэ
- pencil, ощэмкIэ - axe,
лъакъомкIэ -
leg and etc..
Expresses:
The Instrument of action:
- ЫцIэр
къэлэмкIэ
къэтхъыгъ -
his name is written in pencil.
- Мы
гъогумкIэ
тэблэкIыщтэп
- We can not pass this way.
The Direction of action:
ХымкIэ
жьыбгъэр
къэкIыщтыгъ
- the wind blows from sea.
4. Invertive. Has the
suffix - эу:
кIалэу
- boy, кIалэхэу - boys.
Expresses:
The Reception of another
quality by the subject:
Нахь
баеу
хъугъэ - he became richer.
People belonging to some
professions:
кIэлэегъаджэу
Iоф щыщIэ - He works as a
teacher.
The nouns in Circassian
are different by their accessory sign:
There are natural
attribute and property attribute.
Natural
attribute: Part of body, such words as 'son', 'daughter', 'brother',
'sister' . All other words are belonging to the property attribute.
The Natural attribute is
expressed with prefix:
Single form:
1. For the 1-st person,
сы~or с- (my): гу- heart,
сыгу - my heart;
сшыпхъу - my sister.
2. For the 2-nd person,
п~ or у- (your): плъакъо
- your leg; угу - your heart;
пшыпхъу - your sister.
3. For the 3-rd person,
ы-: ылъакъо - his
(her)leg; ышыпхъу - his
(her) sister.
Plural form:
1. For the 1-st person
prefix тэ- or т- : тIэхэр
- our hands;
тлъакъохэр
- our legs;
2. For the 2-nd person
prefix шъуы- or шъу- :
шъулъакъохэр
- your legs;
шъушыпхъу -
your sister.
3. For the 3-rd prefix a-
: алъакъо - their legs;
агу - their heart.
The Property attribute is
Expressed the prefix:
Single form:
For the 1-st person
prefix си-: тхъылъ
- book, ситхъылъ -
my book;
For the 2-nd person
prefix уи-: уитхъылъ
- your book;
For the 3-rd person
prefix и-: итхъылъ
- his book; илI - her husband;
ишъузы - his wife.
Plural form:
For the 1-st person
prefix ти-: титхъылъ
- our book; тинысэ - our
daughter-in-law;
For the 2-nd person
prefix шъуи -:
шъуитхъылъ
- your book; шъуиунэ -
your house.
For the 3-rd person
prefix я-: янысэ - their
daughter-in-law; янэ - their mother, yat - their
father.