Ad. neuter-nouns grammar.

Ad. neuter-nouns grammar.

Only nouns for inanimate objects may be neuter. Words for animals (but perhaps not plants) and for people whose gender is unspecified are declined as common-nouns instead of neuters (SD/426).

Neuter nouns do not end in the long vowels , , , , and do not have a long î or û in their final syllable (SD/427), though monosyllables seem to be an exception to the second rule: see pûh “breath” and rûkh “shout” (SD/426). These vowels are considered markers of femininity or masculinity (SD/435), and are therefore not applicable to neuter (or common) nouns. There is one attested exception to this rule, Nimriyê “Elvish” (SD/414), but the -iyê in this case seems to be a suffix. Most neuter nouns have a short vowel in their last syllable (that is, they are a strong-noun). If they have a long vowel in the last syllable, it is usually â, such as batân “road” or akhâs “chasm”. In the case of a final long vowel, it must be , such as “hand”.

Examples (neut)
*aban “?world”
abâr “strength, endurance, fidelity”
adûni “the West”
agan “death”
?aglar “glory”
akhâs “chasm”
*aphana “?bliss”
*azga “war”
azra “sea”
#balak “ship”
batân “road, path, way”
#bawab “wind”
bêth “expression, saying, word”
dâira “Earth”
dâur “gloom”
dolgu “dark, (evil) night”
gimil “(all) stars; ?silver”
gimli “star (in the sky)”
hazad “seven”
huzun “ear”
igmil “star-shaped figure”
inzil “flower, lily”
kadar “city”
khibil “spring”
#kulbu “root”
kulub “roots, edible vegetables that are roots not fruits”
lômi “(pleasant) night”
minal “the heavens, sky”
#nâlu “shadow”
#narak “eagle”
nîlu “moon”
Nimriyê “Nimrian Tongue, *Elvish”
“hand”
pharaz “gold”
pûh “breath”
rôth “foam, white crest of waves”
rûkh “shout”
sâibêth “assent”
*sakal “shore”
satta “two”
sûla “trump”
sulum “mast”
târik “pillar, that which supports”
thâni “land”
ugru “shadow”
ûri “sun”
#urud “mountain”
* “gift”
zadan “house”
*zagar “?sword”
zâir “longing, yearning”
zâyan “land”
zidar “poise”
*zimra “jewel”
*zôr “?fire, ?foam”

References ✧ SD/426-427

Element In