1. Number:
* Singular: Refers to one thing (e.g., cat, book, city).
* Plural: Refers to more than one thing (e.g., cats, books, cities).
How it's indicated:
* Adding suffixes: -s, -es, -ies (e.g., cat -> cats, box -> boxes, baby -> babies)
* Changing the vowel: (e.g., man -> men, tooth -> teeth)
* Using a completely different word: (e.g., child -> children, person -> people)
2. Case:
* Nominative: The subject of a verb (e.g., "The cat sat on the mat.")
* Accusative: The direct object of a verb (e.g., "The boy saw the cat.")
* Genitive: Shows possession (e.g., "The cat's tail")
* Dative: Indicates the indirect object (e.g., "He gave the cat a treat.")
* Vocative: Used for direct address (e.g., "Hey, cat!")
How it's indicated:
* Adding suffixes: (e.g., -s, -es)
* Changing the vowel: (e.g., Latin)
* Prepositions: (e.g., "of" for genitive in English)
3. Gender:
* Masculine: (e.g., "king", "boy")
* Feminine: (e.g., "queen", "girl")
* Neuter: (e.g., "house", "table")
How it's indicated:
* Suffixes: (e.g., -a for feminine in Spanish)
* Different words: (e.g., "he" for male, "she" for female)
* Article agreement: (e.g., "der" for masculine, "die" for feminine in German)
Important Points:
* Not all languages use all inflections: English, for example, has mostly lost its case system and relies on word order and prepositions instead.
* Inflection patterns can vary greatly between languages: Latin, for instance, has a much more complex system of noun inflections than English.
* Languages are constantly evolving: Some inflections can disappear over time, while new ones may emerge.
By understanding how nouns are inflected in a particular language, you can gain a deeper understanding of its grammatical structure and how words function within sentences.