Dalmatian

Classification and Dialects
The Dalmatian language is spoken as an official language in Dalmatia and in the Dalmatian Commonwealth. It is a very conservative Balkan Romance language, since it has kept a greater part of the Latin grammar, and it has gained a lot of grammatical features and words due to the influence of the surrounding Slavic languages.

Writing System

 * The digraph ea is pronounced /ja/

First Declension
The following table shows how nouns of the first declension are declined without definite article : The following table shows how nouns of the first declension are declined with definite article :

Second Declension
The following table shows how nouns of the first declension are declined without definite article : The following table shows how nouns of the first declension are declined with definite article : Note that the second declension has got some variations between the nominative stem and the oblique stem, e.g. vertu - vertuţ e. These variations are irregular and unpredictable, since they have been inherited from Latin, so they have to be learnt by heart.

Sound changes
Before the vowels e and i the last consonant of the noun stem changes to :
 * t -- ţ, e.g. vertuţe
 * c -- ç, e.g, duçe

Definiteness
Usually, adjectives have no definiteness form, so the definiteness is always put to the noun, e.g. buna femnea (=the good woman). But if the adjective is nominalized, the adjective may take the definiteness form. Although that form is not added to the adjective, but it is expressed by the defective (invariable) definiteness pronoun le (which can only be used for nominalized adjectives), e.g. le bun (=the good one). The pronoun le has to be shortened to l- following a vowel, e.g. l-ecale (=the equal thing).

Comparative
The comparative in Dalmatian is formed by the prefix mai-, e.g. mai-façil (=easier). The comparison is done by the comparative form of the adjective followed by câ and the compared noun, e.g. Mea casa eşt mai-pulcra câ ta casa. (=My house is more beautiful than your house.).

Superlative
The superlative is formed by the prefix mai-mult-, e.g. mai-mult-façil (=easiest). The comparison is done by the superlative and the compared noun put in the genitive case, e.g. Ioan eşt le mai-mult-întelegent toâţior puierorile şcoâlele. (=John is the most intelligent of all the pupils at school.)