All nouns, whether simple or complex, may be followed by one or more suffixes. If there are two or more suffixes, the suffixes must occur in a specific order. Suffixes may be classified on the basis of their relative order after the noun. There are five types of suffixes. Augmentative/diminutive suffixes come right after the noun; numerical suffixes come after those; qualificatory suffixes come next, followed by possessive/specificative suffixes; syntactic markers come last. This may be illustrated as follows:
NOUN--size--number--attitude--demonstrative--function
Of course, if no augmentative/diminutive suffix is used but a numerical suffix is, the numerical suffix comes right after the noun. If a syntactic marker is the only suffix used, it comes right after the noun. Only when two or more suffixes are used does their order become apparent. There are at least two suffixes in each suffix type. Only one suffix of each type may be used at a time. That is, a noun cannot be followed by, for example, two or three possessive/specificative suffixes.
As in English, a singular noun in Orcish has no specific suffix indicating that it is singular: goyrnkoy (“weapon”) refers to a single weapon of any type. Unlike English, however, the lack of a specific suffix for plural does not always indicate that the noun is singular. In Orcish, a noun without a plural suffix may still refer to more than one entity The plurality is indicated by a pronoun, whether a verb prefix or a full word, or by context. For example, tolgoy (“pig”) may refer to a single pig or to a group of pigs, depending on other words in the sentence or the context of the discussion.
Under certain circumstances, the only way to know whether the noun refers to one or more than one entity is by context. Fortunately for students of Orcish, it is never incorrect to add a plural suffix to a noun referring to more than one entity, even in those cases where it is unnecessary to do so. On the other hand, a plural suffix cannot be added to a noun referring to only one thing, even if pronouns are present in the sentence.
A few Orcish words are inherently plural in meaning, and therefore never take plural suffixes.
ti /tʰĩ˦/ “vermin”
oynkoyr /õĩᵑkõĩr/ “goods”
olos /ɔ̃˞lɔ̃˞ʂ/“dreams”
The singular counterparts of such words are utterly distinct:
winkqi /wĩ˦ᵑkxĩ˦/ “an individual vermin”
nkoynkoy /ᵑkõĩᵑkõĩ/ “trade good”
khoynwos /q͡χõĩnwɔ̃˞ʂ/ “dream”
The singular forms may take the -muhg suffix, but the meaning always carries the “scattered all about” connotation:
nkoynkoymuhg /ᵑkõĩᵑkõĩmʌ̃˨g/ “trade goods scattered all about”
winkqimuhg /wĩ˦ᵑkximʌ̃˨g/ “vermin all over the place”
Inherently plural nouns are treated grammatically as singular nouns in that singular pronouns are used to refer to them. For example, in the sentence oynkoyr gihquoyttoy /õĩᵑkõĩrgɪ̃˨kʷõĩtːʰõĩ/ “Sell the tradegoods!” the verb prefix gih-, an imperative prefix used for singular objects, must be used even though the object (oynkoyr “trade goods”) has a plural meaning.
It is grammatically correct to use the regular possessive suffixes with nouns referring to beings capable of speech (as in rinoylihj “your child”), but such constructions are considered derogatory; oyroytolihj for “my lord” borders on the taboo. Students of Orcish should bear this in mind. To indicate that one noun is the possessor of another noun (e.g., “enemy's weapon”), no suffix is used. Instead, the two nouns are said in the order possessor-possessed: gotuhnkno goyrnkoy /gɔ̃˞tʰʌ̃˨ᵑknɔ̃˞gõĩrᵑkõĩ/ “enemy's weapon” (literally, “enemy weapon”). This construction is also used for phrases translated by “of the” in English, such as “weapon of the enemy.”
The order of the Orcish alphabet (by which wordlists in this series will be organized) is:
t, i, ng, qu, o, s, q, gh, ow, m, kh, ch, nk, g, ui, j, n, oy, r, ai, l, uh, ‘, ih, w
tilti /tʰĩ˦ltʰĩ˦/: (noun) money, tilit- in some compounds
tilti’i’ /tʰĩ˦ltʰĩ˦ʔĩ˦ʔ/: (noun) wealth; riches; treasure
-toy’ /.tʰõĩʔ/: (numerical suffix) plural for beings capable of using language.
-quonk /.kʷɔ̃˞ᵑk/: (qualificatory suffix) indicates that the noun is being used in a false or ironic fashion (for example, saying nkoyrquonk “so-called home,” rather than simply nkoyr “home,” indicates that the speaker does not really believe that the home is legitimate or likely to endure)
sirti /sĩ˦rtʰĩ˦/: (noun) life, not Life in general or as a principle, but (a period of) individual activity, thus also “the place where a person, people &c. lived and had their business, i.e. habitat, haunt”
-sihj /.ʂɪ̃˨d͡ʒ/: (possessive/specificative suffix) my (used for objects incapable of using language)
-sih’ /.ʂɪ̃˨ʔ/: (lexical suffix) one who does; thing which does (nominalizes verbs)
-sih’ /.ʂɪ̃˨ʔ/: (possessive/specificative suffix) my (used for beings capable of using language)
-qom /.xɔ̃˞m/: (augmentative/diminutive suffix) indicates that what the noun refers to is smaller, less important, or less powerful than it would be without the suffix.
-quhg /.xʌ̃˨g/: (qualificatory suffix) indicates that the speaker is pretty sure the object referred to by the noun is accurately described by the noun, but has some doubts.
-muhg /.mʌ̃˨g/: (numerical suffix) general-usage plural; if used for beings capable of using language or body parts it adds a notion of “scattered all about” (compare: rinoy “child”, rinoytoy’ “children”, rinoymuhg “children all over the place”)
-mij /.mĩ˦d͡ʒ/: (possessive/specificative suffix) our (used for objects incapable of using language)
-mi’ /.mĩ˦ʔ/: (possessive/specificative suffix) our (used for beings capable of using language)
-chij /.t͡ʃĩ˦d͡ʒ/: (possessive/specificative suffix) their (used for objects incapable of using language)
nkin /ᵑkĩ˦n/: (noun) way; place; spot
nkinti /ᵑkĩ˦ntʰĩ˦/: (noun) end
nkoyr /ᵑkõĩr/: (noun) house; home; dwelling; family; earth; world; household
nkoyr’i’ /ᵑkõĩrʔĩ˦ʔ/: (noun) palace
nkoyrqom /ᵑkõĩrxɔ̃˞m/: (noun) room; hiding-place
-nkoy’ /.ᵑkõĩʔ/: (numerical suffux) plural for body parts
nkaitoyli /ᵑkaitʰõĩlĩ˦/: (noun) the act (but not the result) of working; job
nkaitoyliqom /ᵑkaitʰõĩlĩ˦xɔ̃˞m/: (noun) task
-nkij /.ᵑkĩ˦d͡ʒ/: (possessive/specificative suffix) his, her, its (used for objects incapable of using language)
gorinkoy /gɔ̃˞rĩ˦nkõĩ/: (noun) round
goroynoyr /gɔ̃˞rõĩnõĩr/: (noun) year (“sun-round”)
-ni’ /.nĩ˦ʔ/: (qualificatory suffix) indicates that there is no doubt in the speaker's mind as to the accuracy of his or her choice of words
nostoyli /nɔ̃˞stʰõĩlĩ˦/: (noun) sort; species; kind
noyt /nõĩtʰ/: (noun) thing
oynoyr /õĩnõĩr/: (noun) sun
oyroy /õĩrõĩ/: (noun) side
oyloy /õĩlõĩ/: (noun) day
oyloyn /õĩlõĩn/: (noun) daytime
oyloy’i’ /õĩlõĩʔĩ˦ʔ/: (noun) holiday
-rim /.rĩ˦m/: (possessive/specificative suffix) this; these
-rij /.rĩ˦d͡ʒ/: (possessive/specificative suffix) y’all’s (used for objects incapable of using language)
rinoy /rĩ˦nõĩ/: (noun) child, -rin in compounds
-ri’ /.rĩ˦ʔ/: (possessive/specificative suffix) y’all’s (used for beings capable of using language)
roynuh /rõĩnʌ̃˨/: (noun) man; male; male animal
-ruhl /.rʌ̃˨l/: (possessive/specificative suffix) that; those
lee /lĩ˥ː/: (noun) people; race
linkti /lĩ˦ᵑktʰĩ˦/: (number) five
linktioy /lĩ˦ᵑktʰĩ˦õĩ/: (number) fifth
linknoyr /lĩ˦ᵑknõĩr/: (noun) week of five days
lo /lɔ̃˞/: (noun) night; a night
luhnki /lʌ̃˨ᵑkĩ˦/: (noun) time; hour
-lihj /.lɪ̃˨d͡ʒ/: (possessive/specificative suffix) your (used for objects incapable of using language)
-lih’ /.lɪ̃˨ʔ/: (possessive/specificative suffix) your (used for beings capable of using language)
-’i’ /.ʔĩ˦ʔ/: (augmentative/diminutive suffix) indicates that what the noun refers to is bigger, more important, or more powerful than it would be without the suffix.
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