2. The kimafal, or whose-case, ending in a, is the answer to the question, "Whose?" or "Of whom?" It is usually translated by the possessiv (—'s) or by "of." Fat mana; the man's father or the father of the man. The kimafal is sometimes called the genitiv.
3. The kimefal, or to-whom-case, ends in e and answers the question "to whom ?" It is usually translated by to with the objectiv; but frequently we omit the to ; thus we say "I gave an apple to the boy," or "I gave the boy an apple." "Boy " would be in the kimefal as expressing the indirect object of the action. The kimefal is sometimes called the dativ case.
4. The kimifal, or whom-case, ends in i, answers to the question "Whom ?" and denotes the direct object. In the sentence just given "apple" would be in the kimifal. It corresponds nearly to the English objectiv. It is sometimes called the accusativ.
SUMMARY OF THE CASES.
As to endings :
| 1. — | 2. -a | 3. -e | 4. -i. |
As to names :
| 1. Kimfal. | 2. Kimafal. | 3. Kimefal. | 4. Kimifal. |
Or, after the classical style :
| 1. Nominativ. | 2. Genitiv. | 3. Dativ. | 4. Accusativ. |
Answering the questions
| 1. Who ? | 2. Whose ? | 3. To whom ? | 4. Whom ? |
Denoting usually
| 1. The Subject. | 2. The Possessor. | 3. The Indirect Object. | 4. The Direct Object. |
Translated by
| 1. The Nominativ. | 2. The Possessiv or of | 3. to. | 4. The Objectiv. |
The kimfal, preceded by the interjection „o“ and followed by an exclamation point, is used in addressing a person: „o söl!“ "Sir." This is sometimes considered as a separate case, called the kimofal or vocativ. It seems, however, better to consider it a nominativ independent, as in English.
„o“ is sometimes omitted in this case.
