Ćwarmin
Ćwarmin possession is generally marked by use of the genitive on the possessor. The possessum can appear in any degree of definiteness (depending, of course, on the available degrees of definiteness for the case in which the possessum stands):
indef:
A(ny) net of the fisherman's
źaŋk -ututa girśim fisherman -GEN.DEF net the fisherman 's net
def:
The fisherman's net, that net of the fisherman's
źaŋk -ututa girś -iti fisherman -GEN.DEF net -SG.NOM.DEF the fisherman 's net
spec:
A specific net of the fisherman's
źaŋk -ututa girś -itək fisherman -GEN.DEF net -NOM.SG.SPEC the fisherman 's net
For plural forms, definite tends to be 'exhaustive' - all the X of Y; specific tends to signal exhaustive with regards to some limited set - i.e. 'all the X:s that belong to Y among these X:s'.
Indefinites as possessors are possible, but there is no distinct genitive form for them. There is some variation to what case an indefinite possessor goes in - nominative, accusative and dative all are fairly common, general ablative a bit less common but common enough to be understood by most speakers.
As for pronominal possession, most languages related to Ćwarmin have a set of possessive suffixes. However, these have been lost in Ćwarmin, and only survive in these few nouns:
The pronouns have genitive forms, which are used to express possession. However, with direct and indirect objects that are possessed by the subject, the reflexive object case is used. Historically, it originated as a third person possessive suffix that was later reinterpreted, and now has nothing with person to do - only with reflexive possession. However, there are a few exceptions.
Across the conjunctions 'i', 'e', 'u' (and), it generally binds to the noun to the left of the conjunction unless it too is marked with the reflexive possession case, thus:
In a few dialects - all of which retain the possessive suffixes - the reflexive possessive also can be used as subject of embedded clauses; in those, however, it often also is more clearly a possessive suffix and does combine to some extent with actual cases, although it combines with fewer case markers than other possessive suffixes.
As it happens, the third person genitive pronouns do not differentiate whether the referent is definite or specific (unlike how the pronouns do in several other cases), which means that for arguments that are not subject, object or indirect object, there is very little in ways of distinguishing different third-person possessors.
Indefinites as possessors are possible, but there is no distinct genitive form for them. There is some variation to what case an indefinite possessor goes in - nominative, accusative and dative all are fairly common, general ablative a bit less common but common enough to be understood by most speakers.
As for pronominal possession, most languages related to Ćwarmin have a set of possessive suffixes. However, these have been lost in Ćwarmin, and only survive in these few nouns:
sidestigə - 'my child' (a vocative phrase uttered by clergymen)
niźilgə - 'my love'
sarbatuŋra - our obligation (a phrase uttered in many liturgies)Of these, only nigilgə and sarbatuŋra are attested in other cases than nominative - nigilgə as nigilgəmcə (nom.compl) and sarbatuŋra as sarbatuŋrawuc (acc), sabratuŋrutćo (acc. compl), sarbatuŋrumca (nom. compl).
midreviŋrə - our praise (again, uttered in many liturgies)
The pronouns have genitive forms, which are used to express possession. However, with direct and indirect objects that are possessed by the subject, the reflexive object case is used. Historically, it originated as a third person possessive suffix that was later reinterpreted, and now has nothing with person to do - only with reflexive possession. However, there are a few exceptions.
Across the conjunctions 'i', 'e', 'u' (and), it generally binds to the noun to the left of the conjunction unless it too is marked with the reflexive possession case, thus:
Egen e kamu-sunEgen and wife-rflxpossThis construction is possible regardless of the case of the leftmost noun (except of course reflexive possession), but it is most usual with the nominative, accusative and dative. Another construction that also occurs differs by its lack of a conjunction - Egen kamu-sun - with subjects and sometimes objects. Then it marks a more comitative-like meaning: Egen, with his wife|accompanied by his wife|...
Egen and his wife (Egen is a fairly common name)
In a few dialects - all of which retain the possessive suffixes - the reflexive possessive also can be used as subject of embedded clauses; in those, however, it often also is more clearly a possessive suffix and does combine to some extent with actual cases, although it combines with fewer case markers than other possessive suffixes.
As it happens, the third person genitive pronouns do not differentiate whether the referent is definite or specific (unlike how the pronouns do in several other cases), which means that for arguments that are not subject, object or indirect object, there is very little in ways of distinguishing different third-person possessors.
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