Persian nouns
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Persian nouns have no grammatical gender, and the case markers have been greatly reduced since Old Persian—both characteristics of contact languages. Persian nouns now mark with a postposition only for the specific accusative case; the other oblique cases are marked by adpositions.
There are two common and productive form of pluralization for Persian nouns. The suffix hā (ها) is typically used for any kind of noun. Another productive plural suffix is ān (ان), typically used for human nouns (with alternative forms gān (گان) after the short vowel e and yān (یان) after other vowels). Many nouns borrowed from Arabic feminine forms pluralize using the āt (ات) suffix. Nouns borrowed from Arabic human forms often pluralize using īn (ین). The class of Arabic broken plurals are formed through internal vowel alternation. These nouns pluralize in Persian like their counterparts in Arabic.[1]
In colloquial Persian, the plural suffix -hā (pronounced -ā after consonants) can be used with virtually all nouns, even if they take an ān-plural or an Arabic plural in the written standard language. For example, one can say mard-hā (or mard-ā) instead of standard mardān ("men").
Case/definiteness
Definiteness and specificity is marked in ways overlapping with case marking. The postposition -ra marks a definite or specific direct object. An indefinite noun can be marked by an enclitic -i or the numeral ye(k).[1]
Noun derivation
Persian nouns can be formed by using a number of productive suffixes and affixes. This example shows some possible derivations from the word dān, present stem of the verb dānestan, "to know":
| Root | Suffix | Derivation | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| *dān | -eš | dāneš | "knowledge" | - |
| *dān | -ā | dānā | "wise" | - |
| *dāneš | -mand | dānešmand | "scientist" | - |
| *dāneš | -ik | dānešik | "scientific" | modern Persian: "dāneši" |
| *dāneš | -gāh | dānešgāh | "university" | (the foundation which organizes the higher-education activities) |
| *dāneš | -kade | dāneškade | "college/faculty" | (the building in which certain field of knowledge is taught) |
| *dāneš | + āmuz | dānešāmuz | "student" | (who {āmuz} "Learns" {dāneš} "knowledge") |
| *dāneš | + ju | dānešju | "university student" | (who {ju} "seeks" {dāneš} "knowledge") |
| *dāneš | + pažuh | dānešpažuh | "science/knowledge researcher" | (who {pažuh} "investigates"{dāneš} "knowledge") |