Lishepus Grammar
Lishepus is a fusional language. It is mostly head-initial. Direct objects follow their verbs, and possessors follow their possessees.
Nouns
Nouns decline for case and number. The cases are nominative, accusative, and genitive. The numbers are singular and plural. There is also a construct form, which is used in possessive constructions to indicate that the noun is possessed. It is followed by the possessor, either as a possessive suffix or a postposed noun in the nominative. Nouns in the construct form do not indicate their own case and number in any way. For example, amnii "my honor" (where -ii means "my"), and aaman insi "the human's honor."
Noun Declension
The declension of the noun aamnu "honor, righteousness" is exemplified below:
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | aamnu | aamnuun |
| Accusative | aamna | aamnaan |
| Genitive | aamni | aamniin |
| Construct | aamn-, aaman | |
Adjectives
Adjectives agree with the nouns they modify in person and number.
Verbs
Verbs can be marked for their subjects in person and number, by means of the dependent pronominal suffixes. Verbs use an auxilliary to convey grammatical information such as aspect, tense, mood, and polarity. The aspects are imperfective, perfective, and stative. The tenses are present and past. The moods are indicative, subjunctive, optative, and imperative. Tense is only distinguished in the indicative. The two polarities are positive and negative/interrogative.