Editing Geʽez (section)

=== Nouns ===

Geʽez distinguishes two genders, masculine and feminine, the latter of which is sometimes marked with the suffix {{lang|gez|ት}} {{transliteration|sem|-t}}, e.g. {{lang|gez|እኅት}} {{transliteration|sem|{{hamza}}əxt}} ("sister"). These are less strongly distinguished than in other Semitic languages, as many nouns not denoting humans can be used in either gender: in translated Christian texts there is even a tendency for nouns to follow the gender of the noun with a corresponding meaning in Greek.{{sfn|Lambdin|1978|p=26}}

There are two numbers, singular and plural. The plural can be constructed either by suffixing {{lang|gez|ኣት}} {{transliteration|sem|-āt}} to a word (regardless of gender, but often {{lang|gez|ኣን}} {{transliteration|sem|-ān}} if it is a male human noun), or by using an [[internal plural]].{{sfn|Lambdin|1978|p=21}}

* Plural using suffix: {{lang|gez|ዓመት}} {{transliteration|sem|ʿāmat}} ("year") plural {{lang|gez|ዓመታት}} {{transliteration|sem|ʿāmatāt}}, {{lang|gez|ገዳም}} {{transliteration|sem|gadām}} ("wilderness, uninhabited area") plural {{lang|gez|ገዳማት}} {{transliteration|sem|gadāmāt}}, {{lang|gez|ሊቅ}} {{transliteration|sem|liq}} ("elder, chief") plural {{lang|gez|ሊቃን}} {{transliteration|sem|liqān}}, {{lang|gez|ጳጳስ}} {{transliteration|sem|p̣āp̣p̣ās}} ("(arch)bishop") plural {{lang|gez|ጳጳሳት}} {{transliteration|sem|p̣āp̣p̣āsāt}}.
* Internal plural: {{lang|gez|ቤት}} {{transliteration|sem|bet}} ("house") plural {{lang|gez|አብያት}} {{transliteration|sem|ʾabyāt}}, {{lang|gez|ቅርንብ}} {{transliteration|sem|qərnəb}} ("eyelid") plural {{lang|gez|ቀራንብት}} {{transliteration|sem|qarānəbt}}.

Nouns also have two cases: the nominative, which is not marked, and the accusative, which is marked with final {{transliteration|sem|-a}}. As in other Semitic languages, there are at least two "states", absolute (unmarked) and [[construct state|construct]] (marked with {{transliteration|sem|-a}} as well).

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Declension of {{lang|gez|ሊቅ}} {{transliteration|sem|liq}} ("elder, chief")
|-
! !! colspan="2" | Singular !! colspan="2" | Plural
|-
! !! Absolute<br />state !! Construct<br />state !! Absolute<br />state !! Construct<br />state
|-
! Nominative
| {{lang|gez|ሊቅ}} {{transliteration|sem|liq}} || {{lang|gez|ሊቀ}} {{transliteration|sem|liq'''a'''}}
| {{lang|gez|ሊቃን}} {{transliteration|sem|liqān}} || {{lang|gez|ሊቃነ}} {{transliteration|sem|liqān'''a'''}}
|-
! Accusative
| {{lang|gez|ሊቀ}} {{transliteration|sem|liq'''a'''}} || {{lang|gez|ሊቀ}} {{transliteration|sem|liq'''a'''}}
| {{lang|gez|ሊቃነ}} {{transliteration|sem|liqān'''a'''}} || {{lang|gez|ሊቃነ}} {{transliteration|sem|liqān'''a'''}}
|}

As in [[Arabic language|Classical/Standard Arabic]], singular and plural nouns often take the same final inflectional affixes for case and state, as number morphology is achieved via attaching a suffix to the stem and/or an internal change in the stem.

There is some morphological interaction between consonant-final nouns and a pronoun suffix (see the table of suffix pronouns below). For example, when followed by {{lang|gez|የ}} {{transliteration|sem|-ya}} ("my"), in both nominative and accusative the resulting form is {{lang|gez|ሊቅየ}} {{transliteration|sem|liqə́ya}} (i.e. the accusative is ''not'' {{lang|gez|*ሊቀየ}} {{transliteration|sem|*liqáya}}), but with {{lang|gez|ከ}} {{transliteration|sem|-ka}} ("your", masculine singular) there's a distinction between nominative {{lang|gez|ሊቅከ}} {{transliteration|sem|liqə́ka}} and accusative {{lang|gez|ሊቀከ}} {{transliteration|sem|liqáka}}, and similarly with {{transliteration|sem|-hu}} ("his") between nominative {{lang|gez|ሊቁ}} {{transliteration|sem|liqú}} (< {{transliteration|sem|*liq-ə-hu}}) and accusative {{lang|gez|ሊቆ}} {{transliteration|sem|liqó}} (< {{transliteration|sem|*liqa-hu}}).{{sfn|Tropper|2021|loc=§&nbsp;4.1.2.2}}{{sfn|Lambdin|1978|p=40}}

==== Internal plural ====

Internal plurals follow certain patterns. Triconsonantal nouns follow one of the following patterns.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Patterns of internal plural for triconsonantal nouns{{sfn|Gragg|1997b|p=248}}{{sfn|Gragg|2008|p=440}} <br />(C=Consonant, V=Vowel)
|-
!Pattern
!Singular
!Meaning
!Plural
|-
| rowspan="5"|'''ʾaCCāC'''
| {{lang|gez|ልብስ}} {{transliteration|gez|ləbs}}
| 'garment'
| {{lang|gez|አልባስ}} {{transliteration|gez|ʾalbās}}
|-
| {{lang|gez|ፈረስ}} {{transliteration|gez|faras}}
| 'horse'
| {{lang|gez|አፍራስ}} {{transliteration|gez|ʾafrās}}
|-
| {{lang|gez|ቤት}} {{transliteration|gez|bet}}
| 'house'
| {{lang|gez|አብያት}} {{transliteration|gez|ʾabyāt}}
|-
| {{lang|gez|ጾም}} {{transliteration|gez|ṣom}}
| 'fast'
| {{lang|gez|አጽዋም}} {{transliteration|gez|ʾaṣwām}}
|-
| {{lang|gez|ስም}} {{transliteration|gez|səm}}
| 'name'
| {{lang|gez|አስማት}} {{transliteration|gez|ʾasmāt}}
|-
| rowspan="2"|'''ʾaCCuC'''
| {{lang|gez|ሀገር}} {{transliteration|gez|hagar}}
| 'country'
| {{lang|gez|አህጉር}} {{transliteration|gez|ʾahgur}}
|-
| {{lang|gez|አድግ}} {{transliteration|gez|ʾadg}}
| 'ass'
| {{lang|gez|አእዱግ}} {{transliteration|gez|ʾaʾdug}}
|-
| rowspan="3"|'''ʾaCCəC(t)'''
| {{lang|gez|በትር}} {{transliteration|gez|batr}}
| 'rod'
| {{lang|gez|አብትር}} {{transliteration|gez|ʾabtər}}
|-
| {{lang|gez|ርእስ}} {{transliteration|gez|rə's}}
| 'head'
| {{lang|gez|አርእስት}} {{transliteration|gez|ʾarʾəst}}
|-
| {{lang|gez|ገብር}} {{transliteration|gez|gabr}}
| 'servant, slave'
| {{lang|gez|አግብርት}} {{transliteration|gez|ʾagbərt}}
|-
| rowspan="2"|'''ʾaCāCəC(t)'''
| {{lang|gez|በግዕ}} {{transliteration|gez|bagʽ}}
| 'sheep'
| {{lang|gez|አባግዕ}} {{transliteration|gez|’abāgəʽ}}
|-
| {{lang|gez|ጋንን}} {{transliteration|gez|gānən}}
| 'devil'
| {{lang|gez|አጋንንት}} {{transliteration|gez|’agānənt}}
|-
| rowspan="2"|'''CVCaC'''
| {{lang|gez|እዝን}} {{transliteration|gez|’əzn}}
| 'ear'
| {{lang|gez|እዘን}} {{transliteration|gez|’əzan}}
|-
| {{lang|gez|እግር}} {{transliteration|gez|’əgr}}
| 'foot'
| {{lang|gez|እገር}} {{transliteration|gez|’əgar}}
|-
| rowspan="3"|'''CVCaw'''
| {{lang|gez|እድ}} {{transliteration|gez|’əd}}
| 'hand'
| {{lang|gez|እደው}} {{transliteration|gez|’ədaw}}
|-
| {{lang|gez|አብ}} {{transliteration|gez|’ab}}
| 'father'
| {{lang|gez|አበው}} {{transliteration|gez|’abaw}}
|-
| {{lang|gez|እኍ/እኅው}} {{transliteration|gez|’əḫʷ/’əḫəw}}
| 'brother'
| {{lang|gez|አኀው}} {{transliteration|gez|’aḫaw}}
|}

Quadriconsonantal and some triconsonantal nouns follow the following pattern. Triconsonantal nouns that take this pattern must have at least one "long" vowel (namely {{IPA|/i e o u/}}).{{sfn|Gragg|1997b|p=248}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Patterns of internal plural for quadriconsonantal nouns{{sfn|Gragg|1997b|p=248}}{{sfn|Gragg|2008|p=440}} <br />(C=Consonant, V=Vowel)
|-
!Pattern
!Meaning
!Singular
!Plural
|-
| rowspan="9"|'''CaCāCəC(t)'''
| 'virgin'
| {{lang|gez|ድንግል}} {{transliteration|gez|dəngəl}}
| {{lang|gez|ደናግል}} {{transliteration|gez|danāgəl}}
|-
| 'prince'
| {{lang|gez|መስፍን}} {{transliteration|gez|masfən}}
| {{lang|gez|መሳፍንት}} {{transliteration|gez|masāfənt}}
|-
| 'star'
| {{lang|gez|ኮከብ}} {{transliteration|gez|kokab}}
| {{lang|gez|ከዋክብት}} {{transliteration|gez|kawākəbt}}
|-
| 'window'
| {{lang|gez|መስኮት}} {{transliteration|gez|maskot}}
| {{lang|gez|መሳኩት}} {{transliteration|gez|masākut < masākəwt}}
|-
| 'chicken'
| {{lang|gez|ዶርሆ}} {{transliteration|gez|dorho}}
| {{lang|gez|ደራውህ}} {{transliteration|gez|darāwəh}}
|-
| 'night'
| {{lang|gez|ሌሊት}} {{transliteration|gez|lelit}}
| {{lang|gez|ለያልይ}} {{transliteration|gez|layāləy}}
|-
| 'earth'
| {{lang|gez|ብሔር}} {{transliteration|gez|bəḥer}}
| {{lang|gez|በሓውርት}} {{transliteration|gez|baḥāwərt}}
|-
| 'river'
| {{lang|gez|ውሒዝ}} {{transliteration|gez|wəḥiz}}
| {{lang|gez|ወሓይዝት}} {{transliteration|gez|waḥāyəzt}}
|-
| 'priest'
| {{lang|gez|ቀሲስ}} {{transliteration|gez|qasis}}
| {{lang|gez|ቀሳውስት}} {{transliteration|gez|qasāwəst}}
|}