Inha Grammar

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Inha is a fusional language. The language has four main varieties: fire, stone, wind, and water.

Nouns

Nouns decline for number and case. The two numbers are singular and plural. The Inha language has a substantial case system, including either 12 or 24 cases depending on how they are counted. Twelve of these cases mirror natural language counterparts, each with a corresponding converse form. While some cases have parallels in natural languages, others lack such connections, the language being purposely constructed as non-natural.

Relationships and Forces

The cases are organized into three sets of four, structured around four fundamental relationships and three distinct forces. The relationships consist of:

1. Being a thing.
2. Affecting a thing directly.
3. Affecting a thing indirectly.
4. Using a thing for some other purpose.

The three forces are:

1. Physical manifestation or physical reality.
2. Motion.
3. Magic.

Positive Cases

The resulting positive (or basic) cases are as follows:

Set 1 (Physical)

1. Nominative: subjects
2. Accusative: direct objects
3. Dative: indirect objects
4. Instrumental: instruments and companions

Set 2 (Motion)

1. Adessive: being at or near some place
2. Illative: moving into some place
3. Allative: going towards some place
4. Inessive: being inside of some place

Set 3 (Magic)

1. Essive: as or in the capacity of the declined noun
2. Translative: becoming the declined noun
3. Benefactive: beneficiaries
4. Vialis: going by way of the declined noun (or controlling it)

Converse Cases

Each case within these sets possesses a converse form denoted as "Converse X," irrespective of any natural language reflex. The converse cases are as follows:

Set 1 (Physical)

1. Converse Nominative: objects of causative verbs
2. Converse Accusative: subjects of passive verbs
3. Converse Dative: when something is taken from the declined noun (one use of the ablative)
4. Converse Instrumental: without the benefit of, without the company of (i.e. the abessive case, or at least one use of it)

Set 2 (Motion)

1. Converse Adessive: being far away from some place (one use of the abessive)
2. Converse Illative: moving out of some place (i.e. the elative)
3. Converse Allative: going away from some place (i.e. the ablative)
4. Converse Inessive: being outside of some place (i.e. the exessive)

Set 3 (Magic)

1. Converse Essive: different from or acting not in the capacity of the declined noun
2. Converse Translative: transforming or morphing from the declined noun
3. Converse Benefactive: used for malefactives and comparisons (i.e. used for "than")
4. Converse Vialis: avoiding the declined noun (i.e. an aversive case)

Varieties

These forms may vary depending on the spoken variety, except for the nominative singular, which remains consistent across all varieties. Converse forms are characterized by an /-r/, while theme vowels and consonants differ across fire, stone, wind, and water forms; they are /i/, /n/, /h/, and /a/, respectively. As an example, take the noun aane "sister", for which the full sets of declined noun forms, organized by variety, are as follows:

Fire

Fire	Positive		Converse
	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
Nominative	aane	aaneiu	aaneir	aaneiru
Accusative	aanei	aaneiu	aanerii	aaneriuu
Dative	aaneio	aaneiou	aanerio	aaneriou
Instrumental	aaneia	aaneiau	aaneria	aaneriau
Adessive	aaneli	aaneliu	aanelir	aaneliur
Illative	aaneli	aaneliu	aanelir	aaneliur
Allative	aanelio	aaneliou	aanelior	aaneliour
Inessive	aanelia	aaneliau	aaneliar	aaneliaur
Essive	aaneshi	aaneshiu	aaneshir	aaneshiur
Translative	aaneshi	aaneshiu	aaneshir	aaneshiur
Benefactive	aaneshio	aaneshiou	aaneshior	aaneshiour
Vialis	aaneshia	aaneshiau	aaneshiar	aaneshiaur

Stone

Stone	Positive		Converse
	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
Nominative	aane	aanenun	aanenar	aanenur
Accusative	aanena	aanenau	aanenara	aanenaru
Dative	aanenon	aanenou	aanenor	aanenour
Instrumental	aanenea	aaneneu	aanenear	aaneneur
Adessive	aanelan	aanelun	aanelanar	aanelunur
Illative	aanenal	aanelaun	aanenalar	aanelaunur
Allative	aanenol	aaneloun	aanenolor	aanelounur
Inessive	aanelean	aaneleun	aaneleanar	aaneleunur
Essive	aaneshan	aaneshun	aaneshanar	aaneshunur
Translative	aanenash	aaneshaun	aanenashar	aaneshaunur
Benefactive	aanenosh	aaneshoun	aanenoshor	aaneshounur
Vialis	aaneshean	aanesheun	aanesheanar	aanesheunur

Wind

Wind	Positive		Converse
	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
Nominative	aane	aanehu	aaneher	aanehur
Accusative	aanehe	aaneheu	aanehere	aaneheru
Dative	aaneho	aanehou	aanehor	aanehour
Instrumental	aanehea	aaneheu	aanehear	aaneheur
Adessive	aanelhe	aanelhu	aanelher	aanelhur
Illative	aanehel	aanelheu	aaneheler	aanelheur
Allative	aanehol	aanelhou	aaneholor	aanelhour
Inessive	aanelhea	aanelheu	aanelhear	aanelheur
Essive	aaneshe	aaneshu	aanesher	aaneshur
Translative	aanehesh	aanesheu	aaneheshor	aanesheur
Benefactive	aanehosh	aaneshou	aanehoshor	aaneshour
Vialis	aaneshea	aanesheu	aaneshear	aanesheur

Water

Water	Positive		Converse
	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
Nominative	aane	aaneua	aanera	aaneura
Accusative	aanea	aaneua	aaneraa	aaneruиа
Dative	aaneoa	aaneoua	aaneroa	aaneroua
Instrumental	aaneaia	aaneaiua	aaneraia	aaneraiua
Adessive	aanela	aanelua	aanelara	aanelura
Illative	aanela	aanelua	aanelara	aanelura
Allative	aaneloa	aaneloua	aanelora	aaneloura
Inessive	aanelaia	aanelaiua	aanelaira	aanelaiura
Essive	aanesha	aaneshua	aaneshara	aaneshura
Translative	aanesha	aaneshua	aaneshara	aaneshura
Benefactive	aaneshoa	aaneshoua	aaneshora	aaneshoura
Vialis	aaneshaia	aaneshaiua	aaneshaira	aaneshaiura

Adjectives

Adjectives are comparatively straightforward. In all four varieties, basic adjectives end in -a when preceding a noun and -at when following it, with no concordance in case or number. There are three forms of comparison: positive (basic form), comparative, and superlative. The forms of the comparative and superlative differ between the four varieties. Manner adverbs can be formed from adjectives, and they can also be compared. Consider the adjective nifa "kind", as an example:

Adjectival Comparison for nifa Positive Comparative Superlative Prenominal Postnominal Prenominal Postnominal Prenominal Postnominal Fire nifa nifat nifoai nifoait nifiie nifiiet Stone nifoan nifoant nifane nifanet Wind nifoha nifohat nifehe nifehet Water nifoa nifoat nifaae nifaaet

Adverbial Comparison for nifa Positive Comparative Superlative Fire nifasis nifoaisis nifiisies Stone nifasaz nifoanaz nifanez Wind nifases nifohases nifeheses Water nifasas nifoasas nifaasas