What is the difference between Nia, Naa, and Tua (and Adunay)

As said in the title. I'm confused about these words. Please let me know how to use them in different situations!

This is the genitive form of the medioproximal demonstrative

This is the genitive form of the medioproximal demonstrative kiní. Genitive refers to "posession" (not only for adjectives or other nouns but also for verbs as in these forms are used if you want them to possess the action of the sentence). For example:

  • Kahayag ni'ini. (It's brightness; The brightness of this [thing]).
  • Kabug'at ni'ini. (It's heaviness; The heaviness of this [thing]).
  • Unsay gitas'un ni'ini? (What is it's length?; What is the length of this [thing]).
  • Giluwá' ni'ini ang salapí'. (This [thing] spat out the money).

It's part of the class of genitive forms, shown below:

Table 3. Genitive Forms of the Demonstratives
Regular Alternants Meaning
Ni'idi idi; ni'adi, adi by, of this, that which is near the speaker.
Ni'ini ini; ni'ani, ani by, of this, that which is near both the speaker and receiver.
Ni'ana' ana' by, of that, that which is near the receiver.
Ni'adtu adtu; ni'atu, atu by, of that, that which is far from both the speaker and receiver.

This is not to be confused with the Oblique Forms. Oblique refers to the receiver or the recipient of an action or event (in sentence structure theory). Here are the Oblique Forms (see their alternants as possible source of confusion):

Table 4. Oblique Forms of Demonstratives
Regular Alternant Meaning
Kan'idi idi; kan'adi, adi tofor this; that which is near the speaker.
Kan'ini ini; kan'ani, ani tofor this; that which is near to both the speaker and receiver.
Kan'ana' ana' tofor that; that which is near the receiver.
Kan'adtu adtu; kan'atu, atu tofor that; that which is far from both the speaker and receiver.

We can use some examples:

  • Gilangkat ni'idi nga idinga ang kasulatan naku'. (This cat tored off my document).
  • Maglabay kú kan'ana'. (I will be throwing that).

In the first sentence, this cat "possesses" or does the action langkat.

In the second, that receives or is the recipient of the action labay.

 

 

P.S. Oblique Forms today are almost forgotten. My guess is because of the alternants, which take their roots as their shorter forms---which are the same. Also, knowing which is Genitive and which is Oblique can be inferred by the syntax of the sentence.