Tyap/Articles

Tyap has no Indefinite articles like in English or German, but has Definite articles or Classifiers.

Indefinite articles
Indefinite articles are often unnecessary in normal speech, hence, absent in Tyap. But when being specific about the quantity of the noun, a number is used (usually placed after the noun).


 * E.g.,


 * A big tree. = A̱gba̱ndang a̱kwon.
 * One big tree. = A̱gba̱ndang a̱kwon a̱nyiung.
 * where: a̱gba̱ndang = big, great; a̱kwon = tree; a̱nyiung = one

Definite articles
Tyap has six definite articles or classifiers. Two (ka & wu) are primarily used for singular nouns and adjectives, two (hu & ji) for both singular and plurals and the other two (ba & na) for plural nouns. All nouns and adjectives in Tyap fall under one of these six, so do their corresponding pronouns.

When placed under categories, we would have three categories.


 * Category A (Ka & Wu)
 * KA: Words here are mainly used for younger humans, some animals, few non-concrete nouns and adjectives and plants.
 * Examples of words: a̱baai (knife), a̱bakeang (village), a̱banggwon (baby), a̱bwu (dog), a̱byin (land, country), a̱fwuop (link, meeting point, joint), a̱keang (human settlement, town), a̱kwi (cat), a̱kwon (tree), a̱nu (mouth), a̱pyia̱ (head), a̱sham (beautiful), a̱ta (bow), a̱ta̱nyeang (devil), a̱tuk (day - of 24 hours), a̱tyin (stem), nggwon (child), nggwoneam (girl), nggwoseam (boy)
 * - A̱baai ka = The knife
 * - A̱baai kani = This knife
 * - A̱baai a̱kya = That knife
 * - A̱baai keniaau = That knife over there


 * WU: Words here are mainly used for matured humans, some animals, and most non concrete nouns and adjectives.
 * Examples of words: a̱bwuon (fool), a̱gwak (expert, professional), a̱gwam (king, chief), A̱gwaza (God), a̱kwak a̱son (leader), a̱niet (person), a̱som (hare, rabbit), a̱toot (cloth), a̱tang (thief), a̱tyia̱ (father), a̱tyok (man), a̱tyoli (husband, master, mister), a̱tyu (person), a̱tyubishyi (human being), a̱yang (mother), a̱yin (person)
 * - A̱bwuon wu = The fool
 * - A̱bwuon wuni = This fool
 * - A̱bwuon a̱wa = That fool
 * - A̱bwuon wunia̱u = That fool over there


 * Category B (Hu & Ji)
 * HU: Words here are mainly used for objects, plants, rarely humans; in general, most words beginning with b, f, g, h, k, l, m, p, v some words beginning with c, d, jhy, n, s, t.
 * Examples of words (singular): beang (help), bwak (hand), fi̱ng (young), fwuo (mind, neck), gak (boundary), hyet (arrow), kan (medication), kwon (vegetable), kyang (thing, property), li (to see), lang (line), mam (sun, 12-hour day), nam (meat, flesh, muscle), nyeang (marriage), pyia̱ (hair), tak (leg), vam (body), vak (road), wa (cavity), yak (grains, cereals)
 * - Vak hu = The road
 * - Vak huni = This road
 * - Vak a̱hwa = That road
 * - Vak hunia̱u = That road over there


 * Examples of words (plural): bibyin (lands, countries, territories), li̱la̱n (pots), lyilyia̱ (years, livers), lyulyoot (names)
 * - Lyulyoot hu = The names
 * - Lyulyoot huni = These names
 * - Lyulyoot a̱hwa = Those names
 * - Lyulyoot hunia̱u = Those names over there


 * JI: Words here are mainly used for almost all words beginning with z, ts, j, and some words beginning with b, c, d, j, ny, s; all languages; most loaned words in Tyap especially those from Hausa.
 * Examples of words (singular): byia̱k (bridge, support), bying (faeces), cyuo (leopard, panther), dyang (waist), ja̱m (weed), jem (hippopotamus), jen (time), jet (cricket), khwap (loan), Kpat (Hausa), nyam (animal), Shong (English, any European language), song (dance), sop (forest), shan (stick), shisham (beauty), tyan (station, location, point, spot; to quote, quotation), Tyap (Tyap), tsaai (horse), tsok (mountain), tswa (spirit, nut), za (rain), zat (buffalo), zon (goat), zonseap (sheep), zwuom (elephant)
 * - Jen ji = The time
 * - Jen jini = This time
 * - Jen a̱ja = That time
 * - Jen jinia̱u = That time over there


 * Examples of words (plural): cyuí (rats, mice), jét (cricets), nyám (animals), shán (sticks), tityan (points, stations, spots, locations; quotations), tsaaí (horses), tsutsok (mountains), zát (buffaloes), zón (goats), zwát (moons, months)
 * - Zwát ji = The months
 * - Zwát jini = These months
 * - Zwát a̱ja = Those months
 * - Zwát jinia̱u = Those months over there


 * Category C (Ba & Na)
 * BA: Words here are mainly used for plural living things, especially those with singulars in the "WU Category" and a few in the "KA & HU Category".
 * Examples of words: á̱ga̱fi̱p (plants, shrubs), a̱ghyi (eyes), á̱ghyi (face), á̱kyuo (wives), á̱nap (females), á̱niet (people), a̱nyiuk (women), á̱sam (males), a̱ti̱tak (legs), á̱tuk (days - of 24 hours), á̱tyok (men), a̱yaasom (hares), a̱yaatyia̱ (fathers), a̱yaatyoli (masters, lords, husbands), a̱yaayang (mothers)
 * - Á̱niet ba = The people
 * - Á̱niet bani = These people
 * - Á̱niet a̱bya = Those people
 * - Á̱niet bania̱u = Those people over there


 * NA: Words here are mainly used for plural of non-living things and some living things, especially those with singulars in the "KA Category" and "HU Category.
 * Examples of words: a̱ka̱neam (girls), a̱ka̱khwon (axes), a̱ka̱kwon (trees), a̱ka̱laa (lies), a̱ka̱ta (bows), a̱ka̱tung (meetings, gatherings, assemblies), a̱ki̱kan (medications), mbwak (hands), mkpa (pestles), mmam (days - of 12 hours), mman (children), ndang (lines), ndyia̱ (years, livers), nkyang (things, properties), nla̱mba (numbers), ntangka̱i (types), nvak (roads), nvam (bodies)
 * - Nkyang na = The things
 * - Nkyang nani = These things
 * - Nkyang a̱nia = Those things
 * - Nkyang nania̱u = Those things over there

<>