Editing Oscan language (section)

== Morphology ==

===Noun declension===
Oscan nouns can have one of the seven cases: [[nominative]], [[vocative]], [[accusative]], [[genitive]], [[dative]], [[ablative]] and [[locative]] (the last being vestigial in classical Latin). Oscan nouns, like in Latin, are divided into multiple declension patterns.

====Second-declension nouns====
The second declension in Oscan has a few features that distinguish it from its Latin counterpart.
* The nominative singular of masculines features the syncope of ''*-os'' to ''-s'', leading to further phonetic and orthographic consequences.
* The genitive singular '''-eís''' is taken from the ''i''-stems.
* The nominative plural '''-ús''' preserves the usual Indo-European nominative plural ending for animate thematic nouns, which Latin replaced with ''-ī'' < ''*-oi'' from pronominal declensions.

These nouns in Oscan are declined as follows:

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Oscan second declension
|-
!
! Singular !! Plural
|-
! Nominative
|'''-s''' <small>(masculine)</small><ref group=*>If a cluster {{IPA|/ts/}} is formed by this ending, the cluster is spelled as '''-z''', for instance in '''húrz''' "enclosure" (< ''*hortos'').</ref> <br/> '''-úm''' <small>(neuter)</small>
|'''-ús''' <small>(masculine)</small> <br/> '''-ú''' <small>(neuter)</small>
|-
! Vocative
|'''-e'''
| ?
|-
! Accusative
|'''-úm'''<ref group=*>'''-im''' in ''io''-stem nouns like '''Pakis''' (personal name), accusative '''Pakim'''.</ref>
|'''-úss''' <small>(masculine)</small> <br/> '''-ú''' <small>(neuter)</small>
|-
! Genitive
|'''-eís'''
|'''-úm'''
|-
! Dative
|'''-úí'''
|rowspan=3|'''-úís'''
|-
! Ablative
|'''-úd'''
|-
! Locative
| '''-eí'''
|}

{{reflist|group=*}}

====Third-declension nouns====
Like in Latin, the third declension in Oscan is a merger of the ''i''-stem nouns with the consonant-stem nouns.

These nouns in Oscan are declined as follows. Neuters are not attested.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Oscan third declension
|-
!
! Singular !! Plural
|-
! Nominative
|'''-s''' <ref group=*>Absorbs the stem-final consonant in some words and is outright absent in others.</ref>
|'''-s''' <ref group=*>If a cluster {{IPA|/ts/}} is formed by this ending, the cluster is spelled as '''-z''', for instance in '''deívúz''' (a class of deity).</ref>
|-
! Vocative
| ?
| ?
|-
! Accusative
|'''-úm''', '''-um'''
|'''-s'''
|-
! Genitive
|'''-eís'''
|'''-úm'''
|-
! Dative
|'''-eí'''
|rowspan=3|''-is''
|-
! Ablative
|'''-úd'''
|-
! Locative
| 
|}

{{reflist|group=*}}

=== Verbal system ===
Verbs in Oscan are inflected for the following categories:{{sfn|Wallace|2007|p=27}}
* [[Grammatical tense|Tense]] (present, imperfect, future, perfect, and future perfect), 
* [[Grammatical voice|Voice]] (active, deponent/passive)
* [[Grammatical mood|Mood]] (indicative, imperative, subjunctive)
* [[Grammatical person|Person]] (1st, 2nd, 3rd)
* [[Grammatical number|Number]] (singular, plural)

Present, future and future perfect forms in the active voice use the following set of personal endings:{{sfn|Buck|1904|p=151}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! !! Singular !! Plural
|-
! 1st 
|| ''-ō'' || 
|-
! 2nd  
|| ''-s'' ||
|-
! 3rd 
|| ''-t'' || ''-nt''
|}

Imperfect, perfect indicative and all tenses of the subjunctive in the active voice use a different set of endings:{{sfn|Buck|1904|p=151}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! !! Singular !! Plural
|-
! 1st 
|| ''-m'' || 
|-
! 2nd  
|| ''-s'' ||
|-
! 3rd 
|| ''-d'' || ''-ns''
|}

Passive endings are attested only for the 3rd person: singular ''-ter'', plural ''-nter''.{{sfn|Buck|1904|p=154}}

Perfect stems are derived from the present stem in different ways. Latin ''-vī-'' and ''-s-'' perfects are not attested in Oscan.{{sfn|Buck|1904|p=169}} Instead, Oscan uses its own set of forms, including reduplicated perfects such as '''deded''' 'gave',  ''-tt-'' suffix as in '''prúfa-tt-ed''' 'approved', ''-k-'' suffix as in '''kella-k-ed''' 'collected, and ''-f-'' suffix as in '''aíkda-f-ed''' 'rebuilt'. Some verbs also use suppletive forms.{{sfn|Wallace|2007|p=29}}

Other tenses are formed by suffixation:{{sfn|Wallace|2007|p=30}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Mood !! Tense !! Stem !! Suffix !! Example
|-
| rowspan=3 | Indicative || Imperfect || Present || ''-fā-'' || '''fu-fa-ns''' 'they were'
|-
| Future || Present || ''-(e)s-'' || ''deiua-s-t'' 'he will swear'
|-
| Future perfect || Perfect || ''-us-'' || '''tríbarakatt-us-et''' 'they will have built'
|-
| rowspan=3 | Subjunctive || Present || Present || ''-ī-'' (for a-stems), ''-ā-'' (for other stems) || ''deiua-i-d'' 'let him swear'
|-
| Imperfect || Present || ''-sē-'' || '''fu-sí-d''' 'should be'
|-
| Perfect || Perfect || ''-ē-'' || '''tríbarakatt-í-ns''' 'should build'
|}

The following non-finite forms are attested (all of them are based on the present stem):{{sfn|Wallace|2007|p=33}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Form !! Suffix !! Example
|-
| Present active participle || ''-nt-'' || ''praese-nt-id'' 'being at hand' (Abl.sg. fem.)
|-
| Past participle || ''-to-'' || '''teremna-tu''' 'widened' (Nom.sg. fem.)
|-
| Present active infinitive || ''-om'' || '''tríbarakav-úm''' 'to build'
|-
| Present passive infinitive || ''-fi''/''-fir'' || '''sakara-fír''' 'to be consecrated'
|-
| Gerundive || ''-nno-'' || ''úpsa-nna-m'' 'build' (Acc.sg. fem.) 
|}