# Armenian: -երնիս, -նիս (-ernis, -nis)



## clamor

Hi 
In an old description of Armenian grammar (it was on the Western variety, I think it was Elias Riggs' one), they said the suffix -նիս (-երնիս after monosyllabic nouns) was attached to nouns with a 1 person plural possessive meaning, applying to both singular and plural possessions.

For instance, *տուներնիս *(dounernis/tounernis)= տուն-երնիս = our house
>>>>>>>>>*տուներնիս *(_idem_)= տուներ-նիս = our houses
But it seems that only the plural meaning is still in use, making *տուներնիս* always meaning ''our houses''

Is this phenomenon (the disappearance of the singular use) accurate? And is it specific to *տուն* because it is a monosyllabic noun?

Thanks 

_Please, dear moderators, keep the transcription in the title, since many speaker cannot read the alphabet._


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## Arme

I haven't noticed this phenomenon in Eastern Armenian. "Ներ/եր"[ner/er] is the plural suffix and "ս"[s] is the possessive suffix. So it goes like this տուն-տունս-տներ-տներս / ձուկ-ձուկս-ձկներ-ձկներս / գիրք-գիրքս-գրքեր-գրքերս:


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## clamor

Arme said:


> I haven't noticed this phenomenon in Eastern Armenian. "Ներ/եր"[ner/er] is the plural suffix and "ս"[s] is the possessive suffix. So it goes like this տուն-տունս-տներ-տներս / ձուկ-ձուկս-ձկներ-ձկներս / գիրք-գիրքս-գրքեր-գրքերս:


Yes, maybe it is only in Western Armenian... Thanks for your help!


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## VernantWeber

There is a way of making plural with -նի, but it is a archaic/dialectical like ախպերնի, or գործ գործերնի․ In some dialects you can hear things like *գործեր*_նի_դ ո՞նց են = *գործեր*դ ո՞նց են = how are you doing.


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## clamor

VernantWeber said:


> There is a way of making plural with -նի, but it is a archaic/dialectical like ախպերնի, or գործ գործերնի․ In some dialects you can hear things like *գործեր*_նի_դ ո՞նց են = *գործեր*դ ո՞նց են = how are you doing.


really interesting, thank you! which dialects are you referring to?


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## VernantWeber

To be honest my knowledge of Armenian dialectology is very limited, I just refer to my personal experience.)))


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